Nigeria’s Union of Pensioners (NUP) has called upon the governors of the South West zone to urgently implement the consequential adjustment and a 35% increment in pensions for retirees to alleviate their suffering. Furthermore, the NUP has requested the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to create a ministry dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by retirees in the country.
This request was made at the South-West zone’s quarterly meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, which was attended by the chairmen and secretaries of NUP from Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Ekiti states. Following the meeting, the Zonal Public Relations Officer of NUP in the zone, Olusegun Abatan, expressed the belief that the creation of the ministry would improve the fortunes of pensioners across the country.
Abatan went on to urge Tinubu to prioritize the needs of pensioners when he assumes office, stating that President Muhammadu Buhari had done a lot for pensioners and that they hoped Tinubu would continue in the same vein. The NUP spokesperson highlighted the alleged large sums owed to pensioners in gratuities and pensions by governors in the South-West zone and called on all governors to implement the consequential adjustment and the 35% increment in pensions without further delay.
Abatan specifically cited Ekiti, Ogun, and Osun states, where he claimed that pensioners had not received gratuities since 2012. He lamented that these states owed arrears of pensions, gratuities, and other entitlements to deceased pensioners’ next of kin. Finally, he appealed to the governors to take a more proactive approach toward addressing the concerns of pensioners.
