Retired military personnel on Wednesday suspended their planned protest after the Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd.), assured them that the Federal Government would address their demands over pension adjustments and other welfare concerns.

The decision followed a meeting between representatives of the protesting ex-servicemen and officials of the Ministry of Defence at Ship House, Abuja.

One of the leaders of the protesters, Col Innocent Azubike (retd.), said the authorities had acknowledged that their demands were genuine and commenced steps towards addressing the issues.

“Authorities have accepted our cause was genuine and promised and initiated action also to compute our consequential allowance and include it in the fund requirement for implementation of the new outcome.

“That was mission achieved as far as we are concerned. And part of what really made them react was that the media was publicising it. They felt it was becoming a scandal and quickly solved the problem.

“At this moment, for me, I will be getting back to my station. All our people have dispersed,” Azubike said.

The Minister of Defence, who was represented at the meeting by the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwah, assured the veterans that the government was committed to addressing their welfare, remuneration and pension concerns.

In a statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Henshaw Ogubike, Musa said issues relating to wage and pension adjustments were receiving urgent attention, with relevant military, pension and financial authorities being engaged to find a sustainable solution.

He said, “Concerns relating to wage and pension adjustments are receiving urgent attention, with relevant military, pension and financial authorities being engaged to achieve a fair, sustainable and implementable resolution that ensures veterans are not unfairly disadvantaged.”

The minister also appealed to the protesters to remain calm and embrace dialogue, stressing that any adjustment to veterans’ entitlements must be properly computed, adequately funded and implemented in line with existing approvals and regulations.

“Any adjustment to veterans’ entitlements must be properly computed, adequately funded and implemented in accordance with extant approvals, regulations and due process,” he said.

Musa further assured the veterans that the ministry would continue to engage their representatives and provide updates as progress was made on their demands.

The protest had earlier been disrupted by a heavy deployment of soldiers and policemen around the Ministry of Defence.

Our correspondent, who arrived at the ministry at about 8 am, observed personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Immigration Service and Vehicle Inspection Officers deployed around the venue.

Armed soldiers were also seen moving around the venue as security operatives took strategic positions along roads leading to the ministry.

The correspondent counted two armoured personnel carriers and more than 15 vehicles belonging to the police, Army, Immigration Service and VIO stationed at both ends of the roads around the protest venue.

The retired military personnel had attempted to converge at the ministry to protest what they described as the failure of the authorities to implement consequential pension adjustments arising from salary increases approved for serving military personnel.

The development reportedly resulted in a confrontation between some serving soldiers and the retired personnel as security operatives moved to prevent the veterans from assembling at the ministry.

The ex-servicemen are particularly demanding that pensioners benefit from consequential adjustments arising from salary increases approved for serving military personnel.

Azubike had earlier said the retirees were not opposed to salary increases for serving personnel but wanted corresponding adjustments to their pensions.

He also raised concerns over the latest salary increase announced for military personnel in August 2026, which is expected to take effect in September, alleging that pensioners were excluded from the computation.

In the minister’s statement, he acknowledged the sacrifices made by retired military personnel, stressing that their welfare remained a priority of the Federal Government.

“Concerns relating to wage and pension adjustments are receiving urgent attention, with relevant military, pension and financial authorities being engaged to achieve a fair, sustainable and implementable resolution that ensures veterans are not unfairly disadvantaged,” the statement read.

Musa assured the veterans that the Ministry of Defence would continue to engage their representatives and provide updates as progress was made on their demands.

He reiterated the government’s appreciation of the patriotism and sacrifices of military veterans, saying their service to the country must be recognised through sustained attention to their welfare and legitimate entitlements.

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday received briefings from the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, at the State House, Abuja.

The trio discussed the management and disposal of houses seized nationwide by the anti-graft agency, the State House media office revealed in a terse statement/photo release late Tuesday.

It read, “Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Ola Olukoyede, and Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the management and disposal of seized houses nationwide, under the rules of transparency and Accountability at the State House, Abuja. Tuesday, August 18, 2026.”

The meeting is the first public engagement between Tinubu and Olukoyede since the President publicly overruled the commission earlier this month over its handling of a court order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts, just days before the state’s governorship election.

The EFCC had, on August 5, 2026, obtained a court order freezing Osun’s accounts, citing an investigation into the alleged fraudulent handling of ecology funds, intervention funds, and the state’s Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations, running to about N11bn.

The Osun State Government challenged the freeze in a suit filed the same day at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to nullify the order and claiming N2bn in exemplary damages, while accusing the commission of conducting an unproven “witch-hunt” against the state since March.

Two days later, in a statement he personally signed, Tinubu directed the EFCC to return to court and vacate the freeze order, saying he was “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action,” coming just 10 days to the August 15 poll.

The President said he had deliberately avoided interfering in the commission’s operational activities in the past, but could not allow any federal institution to create the impression that it was being deployed to influence the outcome of the election.

Governor Ademola Adeleke went on to win re-election in the August 15 poll.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics shortly after his victory was announced, Adeleke disclosed that he had directed the state’s Attorney General to withdraw the suit against the EFCC, crediting Tinubu’s intervention for the resolution.

“I’m putting them behind. What else do I want? I have instructed my Attorney General to drop it. Mr President has done well. He called me. What more do I want?” Adeleke said.

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged the Federal Government to urgently resolve the lingering salary dispute with the Joint Health Sector Unions, warning that failure to revive negotiations could trigger another industrial crisis in the health sector.

The NLC made the call in a letter dated August 6, 2026, addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment and signed by its President, Joe Ajaero.

The letter followed a July 31 communication by the Joint Health Sector Unions, expressing frustration over the slow pace of efforts to resolve its demands, particularly the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure.

The NLC said it was concerned that agreements, memoranda of understanding and collective bargaining agreements reached with the government over the years had yet to fully resolve the grievances of the health workers.

“We are similarly concerned that years after signing MoUs, terms of agreement and CBAs (Collective Bargaining Agreements) in addition to promises and assurances from appropriate authorities, members of JOHESU have been ignored or abandoned,” Ajaero stated.

The labour centre, therefore, appealed to the Labour Minister to intervene and ensure that negotiations resume immediately, while also urging him to engage the Presidential Committee on Salaries on the matter.

“Honourable Minister, in light of the above, we strongly urge that you do all that is within your power to ensure immediate resumption of the collective agreement negotiation as well as nudge the Presidential Committee on Salaries to do the needful,” the letter stated.

The NLC warned that a failure to resolve the dispute could have serious consequences, particularly for healthcare delivery and industrial relations in the country.

“It needs no telling that the consequences of a complete breakdown in negotiations are quite grave,” it said.

Although the NLC said its letter was not intended as a threat, it pledged to support JOHESU if the union was compelled to take further industrial action.

“We do not intend this as a threat, given the circumstances of this matter.

“However, in the event JOHESU is compelled to take further action in respect of this matter, the congress will not hesitate to lend its support to the hilt,” Ajaero said.

The latest development comes months after JOHESU suspended an 84-day nationwide strike over the same CONHESS dispute.

The health unions had commenced the indefinite strike in November 2025 following the Federal Government’s failure to implement the adjusted CONHESS and resolve other longstanding welfare concerns.

The action was suspended in February 2026 to allow for the implementation of terms of settlement reached with the government.

The dispute centres on the demand by non-doctor health professionals for an adjustment of CONHESS similar to reviews implemented under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for doctors.

JOHESU has maintained that its demand dates back more than a decade, with the 2021 technical committee report on the salary adjustment still awaiting full implementation.

In January 2026, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress had also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government over the failure to implement the adjusted CONHESS, threatening nationwide industrial action.

The Federal Government, however, said it was committed to resolving the dispute and explained that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission was conducting a job evaluation exercise to determine the appropriate placement of health professionals.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had said the exercise was expected to provide a basis for discussions on salary adjustments and the reconvening of the collective bargaining process.

With the NLC’s latest intervention, attention is again focused on the Federal Government to prevent the prolonged CONHESS dispute from degenerating into another strike that could disrupt healthcare services nationwide.

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM