Naked Protest Looms Over Unpaid Arrears
The Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria has threatened a nationwide naked protest on November 24 if the government fails to pay their outstanding pension increment arrears and palliative allowances.
The coalition’s national chairman, Mukaila Ogunbote, announced this during a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Mr Ogunbote, who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NIPOST chapter, said the protest would hold if the federal government failed to fulfill the promise of paying the N32,000 approved pension increment arrears and the N25,000 palliative allowance approved since 2023.
He said the pensioners in the diaspora had identified with the retirees in Nigeria; hence, they would join the protest from their various countries, making it not just a nationwide but a worldwide protest.
Mr Ogunbote appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and direct the Minister of Finance and the Accountant-General of the Federation to release the funds.
According to him, many pensioners have died, and many are dying due to hardship, as they are unable to feed well and get good treatment when ill.
“We were told that our arrears would be paid within two weeks of the approval, yet nothing has been done.
“If by November 23, we do not receive payment, all pensioners nationwide will embark on a naked protest on November 24,” Mr Ogunbote said.
He lamented that while workers had received their own allowances, pensioners were left out.
“Workers received the N35,000 palliative in a month, but up till now, pensioners have not been paid the N25,000 approved for us. We are more vulnerable than anyone else.
“We are appealing to President Bola Ahmed to intervene in the matter,” he said.
Mr Ogunbote appealed to the government to pay the owed money before December and criticised the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for not supporting the pensioners more actively in their request for the payments.
He also appealed to the Minister of Finance and the Accountant General to release the owed funds urgently, as many pensioners were struggling to survive.
The president of the Civil Service Pensioners, Francis Oluwo, appealed to the federal government to act swiftly, stating that the naked protest was crucial to pressure the government into taking appropriate payment action.
Bridget Obieto, the assistant secretary of the Voice of Nigeria Pensioners Association, called on the NLC to use its influence to address the demands of pensioners.
Ms Obieto urged the federal government to prioritise the needs of workers and pensioners over other expenditures.
Elijah Akindutire, chairman emeritus of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NIPOST chapter, said pensioners were appealing to the federal government to pay the arrears so that they could eat well.
Mr Akindutire called for a large turnout at the protest on November 24 to show the government the protesters’ determination.
