The Military Pensions Board has cleared the air regarding the series of complaints from ex-military men intending to protest over exclusion of monthly pensions from the board.
In an interview on Friday, the spokesman for the board, Flight Lieutenant Olayinka Lawal, explained that ex-soldiers were not entitled to receive monthly pensions because they did not serve up to fifteen years, as stipulated by the Pensions Act at the time their retirement 44 years ago.
“The Military Pensions Board seeks to use this medium to respond and correct the allegation by a group called First Intake Able Voluntary Retired or Discharged Ten or More Years Military Service.
“The group claimed that the board has failed to include them on the pension payroll since they were discharged from the Armed Forces of Nigeria 44 years ago. This is outright misinformation and should be disregarded by the public.
“The board wishes to state clearly that its activities are regulated by the Pension Act and the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and that the board will not act contrary to the provisions of these statutes.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is important to state that some members of this group had complained to the Military Pensions Board in the past and the board made it clear to them that they are not entitled to the payment of monthly pensions because they did not serve up to the required 15 years as stipulated by the Pension Act at the time of their retirement.
“Investigations carried out at the board revealed that the majority of the members of this group were retired from the AFN between June 1, 1977, and May 31, 1992. During this period, to qualify for payment of gratuity, a retiree must serve the military for a minimum period of 10 years and must serve for a period not less than 15 years to qualify for payment of monthly pensions,” Lawal said.
The ex-soldiers who accused the Federal Government of withholding their benefits for about 44 years, planned a nationwide protest on Wednesday to demand for their inclusion by the Military Pensions Board.