The Military Pensions Board, MPB, has commenced the payment of 25 percent of the arrears of minimum wage increments to eligible military retirees on MPB payroll from Thursday 3 February 2022.

The Chairman of the Board, Rear Admiral Saburi Abayomi Lawal stated this in Abuja during a news briefing on the modalities for the payment of the arrears.

According to him, The payment is the first out of 4 installmental payments that will be made to all pensioners entitled to the arrears of minimum wage increment on pensions.

The installmental payment arrangement is the outcome of the discussions and agreement reached between the Board and the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (FMoFBNP) for quarterly releases of the appropriated sum in the first month of each quarter.

Thus, all things being equal, subsequent payments of the outstanding arrears will be in the months of April, July and October 2022.

Additionally, all Next of Kins (NOKs) of deceased military pensioners who are eligible for same arrears would be paid the minimum wage increments together with the shortfall of the death benefits earlier paid to them.

Accordingly, Next of Kins of deceased military pensioners who died between       April 2019 and April 2021 are advised to contact their banks for these payments.

Furthermore, the Board reiterated that this payment is basically for arrears of increment in pensions of military retirees who are on MPB payroll between 18 April 2019 and 30 April 2021. In addition, it is pertinent to state that pensions of senior officers of the rank of Major General and above or its equivalents are not affected by the consequential adjustments on pensions occasioned by the new National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2019. Hence, they are not entitled to the 24 months minimum wage arrears. 

The MPB assured military retirees, NOKs and other well-meaning Nigerians that the Board remains resolute and will ensure complete payment of the arrears before the end of the year, subject to release of funds by the FMoFBNP.