Lagos — Scores of retirees, under the umbrella of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Lagos to demand the immediate payment of their long-overdue benefits.
The demonstrators, drawn from 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 some members were owed as much as 35 months in pension arrears.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Pay Us Our Entitlements Now” and “Pensioners Deserve to Live with Dignity”, the protesters decried the “untold hardship” they endure as a result of the non-payment. They also demanded the prompt disbursement of the ₦35,000 palliative announced by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of the current economic crisis.
Speaking during the protest, NUP representatives accused relevant authorities of paying lip service to the plight of senior citizens who had served the country diligently. They urged the Federal Government to set a specific date for the settlement of all outstanding payments, warning that many pensioners were dying in penury while waiting for their legitimate dues.
“We are not asking for charity — we are asking for what we worked for. We have given our youth, our energy, and our service to this nation, and now we are being neglected. The government must act immediately,” one of the protesters said.
The pensioners vowed to continue their demonstrations until the arrears and palliatives are fully paid, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to prioritize their welfare as a matter of urgency.
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