Military Pensions Board pays second tranche of minimum wage arrears.
Military Pensions Board (MPB), on Tuesday, said it had paid the second tranche of 25 per cent arrears of minimum wage increment to eligible military retirees.
Chairman of the board, Rear Adm. Saburi Lawal, in a statement issued in Abuja, said that the payment was held between May 6 and May 10.
Lawal said that the payments had already been sent to the various bank accounts of pensioners on the MPB payroll.
He advised all eligible military pensioners to contact their banks for their entitlements.
“This payment is the second instalment being paid to eligible military retirees who are active on the board’s database.
“It is in fulfilment of the 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 of this year.
“It is important to state that these payments are basically for arrears of increment in pensions of military retirees who are on MPB payroll between April 8, 2019, and April 30, 2021, occasioned by the new National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2019.
“It is also necessary to state that all next of kins (NOKs) of deceased military pensioners, who are entitled to these same arrears, have been paid in full,” he said.
The MPB chairman, however, said that the board was up to date in the payment of monthly pensions and gratuities to all military pensioners.
He said that the board had fully settled the death benefits of all confirmed NOKs of deceased military personnel and pensioners.
According to him, the payments are made possible through the federal government’s support to ensure the regular release of funds to the board.
Lawal thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Defence Minister for their concern for military retirees nationwide.
He assured the retirees and pensioners as well as NOKs of deceased personnel that the board would complete the payment of the 24-month minimum wage arrears before the end of the year.