Pensioners besiege finance ministry over unpaid pension

Tamarauemi Ebimini

Retired federal workers under the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS) gathered outside the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, demanding payment of 18 months of unpaid pension benefits.

The pensioners chanted songs and requested to speak with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun.

However, they were prevented from entering the ministry by security personnel, including police.

The pensioners are frustrated by their exclusion from three pension increases approved by the current administration for retired public servants.

They also cited an outstanding 21 months of accrued pension rights, of which only three months were released following an October protest at the Office of the Accountant General.

A pensioner leader urged security personnel to empathize, reminding them they too would one day retire and could face similar hardships. She called for immediate action, stressing that justice for the pensioners would ensure peace for all.

NUPCPS National Chairman Comrade Sylva Nuatawu, while briefing journalists, said “As it is today, retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) have become endangered species, highly famished, dehumanised and subjected to untold hardships in the Nigerian society.

“Many CPS retirees are bedridden, with many of them being sent to their early graves without enjoying the fruits of their labour after 35 years of using their youthful years to serve their fatherland.”