Ogun Pensioners Threaten Protest Over Unimplemented Pension Increase

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Ogun State Chapter, has threatened to embark on a protest if Governor Dapo Abiodun fails to implement the Consequential Increase in Pension and clear outstanding pension and gratuity arrears before the end of his tenure in 2027.

The union said the decision followed several letters sent to the state government regarding the implementation of the consequential pension adjustment, which it claimed had not received any official response.

Speaking yesterday, the NUP Secretary in the state, Comrade Bola Lawal, acknowledged the government’s efforts in settling part of the backlog but urged the governor to address the remaining arrears and implement the pension increment without further delay.

His comments come after the State’s Economic Adviser and Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo, disclosed during a media parley organised by the Ministry of Budget and Planning that the administration had cleared eight years of outstanding pension and gratuity payments covering 2012 to 2020.

Reacting to the development, Lawal commended the governor for clearing the backlog inherited from previous administrations but insisted that more needed to be done to ease the hardship faced by retirees.

He lamented that many pensioners in the state were struggling to cope with rising living costs, particularly expenses related to food and healthcare, due to the non-implementation of the consequential increase.

According to him, the adjustment would significantly improve retirees’ monthly earnings and help cushion the impact of economic hardship. He cited the example of federal pensioners whose monthly pensions reportedly increased from N9,000 to over N20,000 following the implementation of the consequential adjustment.

Lawal appealed to the governor to also clear outstanding pension and gratuity arrears from 2021 to 2026 before leaving office, noting that some retirees could barely afford basic necessities, including three daily meals and medical care.

“We are planning to protest if the governor refuses to implement the Consequential Increase in Pension,” Lawal said. “We have written several letters and engaged the government on multiple occasions, but it appears there is no commitment to implementing the adjustment before the end of this administration.”

He added that while the union appreciates the payment of arrears from 2012 to 2020, full implementation of the pension increment and settlement of remaining backlogs would bring lasting relief to retirees across the state.