• Active troops’ pay raise to reflect in veterans’ bank accounts from September
• Defence HQ rolls out soft loans, dedicated hospital slots for aging ex-soldiers
Just twenty-four hours after gray-haired military veterans stood under the scorching sun in Abuja, barricading the Ministry of Defence to protest their stagnant pensions, the nation’s military high command has moved swiftly to douse the tension with a message of reassurance, respect, and concrete promises.
In a face-to-face meeting in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, looked into the eyes of retired soldiers from the North-East zone—many of whom spent their youth battling insurgencies—and promised them that their sacrifices would not end in poverty.
Gen. Oluyede assured the veterans that the current salary review for active personnel is “all-inclusive,” meaning that any salary increase enjoyed by serving troops will automatically trigger a corresponding boost in the pensions of retirees.
The Protest That Sparked the Change
The high-level intervention followed a tense protest in Abuja on Wednesday. Despite a heavy deployment of armed security forces, retired soldiers, widows of fallen heroes, and disabled veterans gathered at the Ministry of Defence. Their grievance was simple: while serving personnel received a new salary package in August (scheduled to take effect in September), the retirees had been left behind in the cold, battling Nigeria’s harsh economic realities with outdated pensions.
The protest was temporarily suspended only after the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), personally intervened, pleading with his former colleagues to trust the system.
Taking the peace-building effort a step further in Yola on Thursday, Gen. Oluyede clarified the military’s stance.
“In line with established policies, adjustments to the emoluments of serving personnel will naturally result in a consequential increase in the pensions of our veterans,” the CDS said, in a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major Samila Uba.
Acknowledging that many veterans struggle with post-retirement health issues and economic hardship, Gen. Oluyede announced a series of new welfare interventions.
Understanding that commercial banks often shut their doors to retirees seeking business capital, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has partnered with the Bank of Industry (BoI). This collaboration will allow retired personnel, serving officers, and their families to access low-interest, single-digit loans to start small and medium enterprises.
Furthermore, addresssing the healthcare crisis facing many elderly veterans, the CDS revealed that the ongoing construction of the state-of-the-art Defence Hospital will have a dedicated percentage of its services and beds exclusively reserved for veterans.
According to Gen. Oluyede, these initiatives have the direct backing of President Bola Tinubu, who has released resources specifically aimed at restoring dignity to those who wore the nation’s uniform.
‘We Are Still One Family’
For the veterans, the reassurance was a welcome relief from the anxiety of the previous days.
Responding on behalf of the ex-servicemen, the President of the Retired Army, Navy, and Air Force Officers Association (RANAO), Major-General H.A. Salihu (retd.), thanked the CDS for refusing to treat the retirees as adversaries. He urged his members to remain patient and support the military leadership as they work to implement the new packages.
Gen. Oluyede closed the session with a emotional tribute that resonated deeply with the gathered veterans, reminding them that the brotherhood of arms does not expire.
“The uniform may have been taken off,” the CDS said, “but the nation’s gratitude will never fade.”
