The Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria has known as on the Federal Authorities to right away implement President Bola Tinubu’s accredited pension increments and palliatives, warning that retirees proceed to undergo whereas directives stay unexecuted.
Nationwide Chairman of the coalition, Mukaila Ogunbote, who additionally heads the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NIPOST Chapter, addressed journalists in Lagos on Tuesday.
He stated pensioners had given the federal government till the tip of September to settle arrears, increments and palliatives, failing which they might stage a unadorned nationwide demonstration on October 6.
Ogunbote recalled that in October 2023, President Tinubu accredited N35,000 for employees and N25,000 for pensioners as palliatives. He defined that whereas employees obtained their funds inside one month of the approval, pensioners had been nonetheless ready practically a yr later.
“Employees demanded and obtained extra palliatives for ten months, however pensioners’ requests for six months’ value haven’t been met,” he stated. Ogunbote added that the President had additionally directed a rise of N13,000 in pensions, however no implementation had adopted from both the Ministry of Finance or the Workplace of the Accountant-Basic.
“Once we enquired, we had been instructed our N32,000 increment was omitted from each the 2024 and 2025 budgets. That is injustice,” he stated.
A number of retirees on the briefing spoke of their experiences. Fashola Oluwo, a former employees of the Federal Ministry of Data, questioned why presidential directives affecting pensioners had not been executed.
He stated many retirees had been struggling to outlive regardless of the accredited enhance, which itself was inadequate to cowl the rising value of residing.
Dupe Ogunniyi, a retiree from the Federal Radio Company of Nigeria, appealed to the First Girl, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to intervene with the President.
She stated many pensioners supported unemployed graduate kids and depended completely on their month-to-month pensions.
Adebola Akinduture, former Chairman of the Lagos department of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, pressured that meals safety was the central concern.
“We’re hungry. Meals is drugs, but with out it, drugs is meaningless. Pensioners are ravenous,” he stated.
Ogunbote stated pensioners had been resolved to make their grievances seen if the federal government continued to delay.
“Failure to behave will go away us with no alternative however to embark on a nationwide bare protest on October 6,” he declared.
