Lagos Pensioners Urge Sanwo-Olu to Settle Unpaid Benefits
Retirees in Lagos State, under the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), have made an urgent appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to address their long-overdue pension benefits. At a press conference on Wednesday, pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) expressed frustration over unpaid pension increases and arrears.
The union outlined three major concerns affecting retirees:
- Implementation of ₦32,000 pension increase, as mandated by the National Minimum Wage Act of 2024, which should have taken effect in July 2024.
- Settlement of 57 months’ accrued pension arrears, resulting from the 2019 Consequential Adjustment, effective from April 2019.
- Payment of arrears from a five-year pension review that was due from January 2024.
In addition, the NUP urged the state government to integrate pensioners from state parastatals into the ORACLE payment system, in line with Section 173 (3) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires pension increases to match salary increments or occur every five years.
The pensioners accused top government officials, including Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro, Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Sunkanmi Oyegbola, and LASPEC Director-General, Mr. Babalela Obilana, of ignoring their grievances and failing to engage with them, despite multiple requests.
Recalling promises made after their November 2023 protest, pensioners emphasized the financial strain caused by the non-payment of benefits, particularly in the face of economic hardship. State NUP Chairman, Rev. Oluremi Johnson, urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to honor his commitments, warning, “We are senior citizens, and we don’t want to become senior miscreants.”
The union has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Lagos State Government, signaling the possibility of further action if their demands remain unmet.
