Debarment allowance: Military begins payment — 7 weeks after Buhari’s approval

The Military Pensions Board (MPB) says it has begun the payment of security debarment allowance to eligible military retirees and next of kin of deceased officers.

In September 2022, retired military officers staged a protest over unpaid allowances.

Two months later, while speaking at the launch of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem, President Muhammadu Buhari approved N134.7 billion for the payment of the SDA to all military veterans.

According to a statement on Thursday by Saburi Lawal, the MPB chairman, the payment is in line with the agreement reached at the tripartite meetings of the ministry of defence, ministry of finance, and representatives of the veteran officers’ associations.

Lawal said the benefitting veterans are those on the MPB database who retired before November 9, 2017.

He added that the payment will also accommodate the deceased military retirees who were alive when the Manual of Financial Administration (MAFA) 2017 was signed, and non-pensionable retirees who retired before November 9, 2017, but were only paid gratuities.

Lawal said the security debarment allowance was calculated as a function of 10 percent of the retirees’ annual basic salary as of the time of retirement, multiplied by the number of years served in the services.

The board chairman asked all concerned military pensioners and the next of kin of the deceased military personnel to contact their banks for their entitlements.

“The Board would like to thank our esteemed military retirees for their patience and understanding during the process of getting funds for the commencement of payment of this outstanding allowance,” NAN quoted Lawal as saying.

“On its part, the Board pledges to ensure prompt payment of subsequent tranches of this arrears, once funds are made available.”