Federal pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) are gearing up for a nationwide protest, threatening to occupy the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in Abuja from December 16, 2024. This follows the government’s failure to settle 21 months of unpaid gratuities owed to retirees from March 2023 to November 2024.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, the pensioners demanded immediate action, lamenting that previous assurances had not yielded any results. Despite staging a peaceful rally at the Finance Ministry on November 12, 2024, and appreciating the minister’s “civilized handling” of their grievances, they expressed disappointment over the continued delay in their payments.
Key Demands
The retirees outlined several demands, including:
Immediate payment of 21 months of outstanding accrued rights.
Settlement of pension increment arrears:
15% increase from 2007,
33% increase from 2010,
Consequential adjustments following the 2019 minimum wage increase,
20–28% pension increment approved in 2024.
Call for Reform
The retirees urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the CPS sector, warning that failure to meet their demands by December 16 would force them to relocate to the Finance Ministry indefinitely.
“We will not vacate the premises until the government takes decisive action to clear its liabilities. This neglect has left countless retired senior citizens in financial distress,” the union’s leadership stated.
A Dire Warning
The pensioners emphasized that their action would draw global attention to the plight of Nigerian retirees if their grievances are ignored.
As the December 16 deadline approaches, all eyes are on the Federal Government to address the pensioners’ demands and avert a full-scale occupation of key government offices.
