Retirees under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) on Monday stormed the streets of Lagos, demanding the payment of their long-overdue entitlements.
The pensioners, representing various federal agencies including the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), lamented that they have been left without their statutory payments for years.
According to them, the government owes them up to 35 months’ pension arrears, in addition to the yet-to-be-paid N35,000 palliative announced to cushion the impact of economic hardship on vulnerable groups.
The protesters, some holding placards and chanting solidarity songs, decried what they described as government’s neglect of senior citizens who had dedicated the prime of their lives to national service. They called on the Federal Government to give a definite date for the settlement of the arrears, stressing that the uncertainty has worsened their plight.
Some pensioners said the prolonged delay has forced many of their colleagues into penury, while others have died without receiving a kobo of their benefits.
Over the years, disputes over unpaid pension arrears have become a recurring challenge in Nigeria, with successive administrations promising reforms that are yet to fully address the problem. Monday’s protest in Lagos adds to the growing nationwide agitation by retirees demanding dignity, justice, and the fulfillment of financial obligations owed to them.
