‘Harmonisation not increment’
By Senator Iroegbu
The Military Pension Board (MPB) has said that the Pension Review Committee under the auspices of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is working assiduously to review military pension for all retirees.
It said that the MPB, in conjunction with National Salary Income and Wages Commission, is working to ensure that the approved table of payment by the Federal Government is applied during the implementation.
The board however noted that the harmonised military pension approved by President Muhammadu Buhari does not translate to increment for pensioners.
The Public Relations Officer of MPB, Flight Lieutenant Ikenna Ezendu, in a statement in Monday, clarified that the harmonisation is to bridge the gap in pensions between certain ranks of pensioners before consolidation of salaries in 2010.
Ezendu said that the attention of the Board has been drawn to numerous online information circulating among its pensioners with wrong figures for the implementation of the harmonised military pension.
He said: “The Board, while thanking the Federal Government for approving the harmonisation of military pension, wishes to categorically state as follows:
“Harmonisation is not pension increment; it is rather a deliberate effort to bridge the gap in pensions between certain ranks of pensioners who retired before and after consolidation of salaries in July 2010.
“Therefore, pensioners should endeavour to find out the actual gap between these categories of pensioners to avoid speculation.”
According to him, the mostly affected rank brackets for harmonisation are from Private to Sergeant as well as Brigadier General and above.
Ezendu disclosed that “the harmonization takes effect from August 2016”.
Consequently, he said, military pensioners and other stakeholders are advised to disregard unofficial figures being circulated for the harmonisation of military pensions.
