By Zhikrullah Balogun

Members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, NUP, Lagos Chapter, have called on the state government to immediately pay the arrears of pensions owed to them and increase their monthly stipends in line with the constitutional provision that pensions should be reviewed every five years.

The group led by the state chairman, Rev Oluremi Johnson stated this during a press briefing on the plight of pensioners in the state held at Mushin, Lagos recently.

“Pension should be increased in every five years, it is in constitutional that our pension should be reviewed every five years. It is not something new, the provisions provide that if the workers have any increase in their salaries, it should reflect also on pensioners’ payroll,” Rev Johnson said.

Those are the areas within the constitution that involve pensioners, that every five years, government should review pension and which the government refused to put in place.
If they do it belatedly and without paying arrears.

The Federal government empowered the state government to give the pensioners an increase as far back as April, 1st, 2019, the federal government implemented it then, the State government also implemented it for workers and it was actualized in January, 2024 for pensioners without arrears.

We, the executives of Pensioners in the state visited the Commissioner for Establishment, Permanent Secretary and the Director in-charge of Industrial Relations. They spoke well and we were happy with their responses, and they promised to look into the issues raised including the issue of arrears.

They however said they have not been paid fully, adding that they have been negotiating for one year or two years to avoid crisis. But alas, it has not been paid.

Rev Johnson also said a vehicle was approved for the Union after other Unions got there, but up till moment the vehicle has not been released, adding that officials indicated that it had been given, suggesting they had given the Pensioners’ approved vehicle to the wrong person.

The pensioners also said the office allocation to the union was inhabitable, begging government to make life conducive and comfortable for them..