Protesting Pensioners Demand Audience with Edun over 18 Months Arrears

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

Retired federal government workers under the aegis Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS) yesterday besieged the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja demanding the payment of their 18 months’ unpaid pension rights.
The protesting pensioners, who arrived the main gate of the ministry in their numbers in the early hours of the day chanting solidarity songs, demanded to have audience with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy,  Mr. Wale Edun.

However, security personnel comprising civilian and armed policemen effectively barricaded the gate and prevented them from gaining access into the ministry.

Their grouse of the protesting pensioners included the purported exclusion of the  Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) retirees from the three pension increments paid or approved by the present administration to retired public servants.

Besides, they alluded to the release of funds for accrued rights to retired workers which accumulated to 21 months (March 2023 to November, 2024).

According to them, although they appreciated the fact that three months out of the 21 months of accrued rights were released after they embarked on a peaceful rally at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation on  October 23, 2024,  a backlog of 18 months is yet to be released.
“These unfortunate present developments are causes for concern and worry to us as retired workers under the CPS.,” they said.
One of the leaders of the pensioners who pleaded with the security personnel at the gate to allow them access into the ministry, reminded the latter that they would sooner or later become pensioners and would face the same ordeal they currently face.
She said: “It must not be in vain. Go and call your minister to answer us and give pensioners peace. If not, many of you as you are standing, I bet you,  will retire like us.
“Please, let justice be done so that everybody will have peace. If you don’t want it, we will be here waiting for that justice, and God of heaven will give is justice in Jesus’ name.”

In a prepared address signed by the National Chairman of NUPCPS, Sylva Nuatawu, which was made available to journalists at the venue of the peaceful protest, he stated: “As it is today, retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) have become endangered species, highly famished, dehumanised and subjected to untold hardships in the Nigerian society.

“Many CPS retirees are bedridden, with many of them being sent to their early graves without enjoying the fruits of their labour after 35 years of using their youthful years to serve their father land.”

The NUPCPS chairman lamented that urgent steps were needed to change the ugly narratives in the CPS sector.

He recalled that before the commencement of the CPS in 2004, the Service under the old pension Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) in 2004, they all completed their mandatory retirement age of 35 years, adding that “many of us spent more of their years under the DBS than the CPS.”

“Therefore, we have the same constitutional right to pension increments or other retirement benefits like other retired public servants under the DBS.

“However, unlike other retired public servants, the federal government continued to discriminate and marginalise CPS retirees from all pension benefits include,” he said.

He cited the 15 per cent increase in 2007; 33 per cent increase in 2010; consequential adjustment in 2019 following the increase in the National Minimum Wage; 20 per cent to 28 per cent increase in 2024, as well as the approved N32,000 per month pension increase arising from the current minimum wage of N70,000 to workers.

The ministry was yet to react to the protest as at the time of filing the report.