Alhassan Musa, described the situation as “pathetic,” highlighting the struggles faced by retirees who had sacrificed their lives and services for the nation.
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has lamented the deplorable conditions of public sector retirees in the country, citing woeful monthly pension payouts of as little as N500. The union’s secretary in Kaduna State, Alhassan Musa, described the situation as “pathetic,” highlighting the struggles faced by retirees who had sacrificed their lives and services for the nation.
According to Musa, the worst affected are pensioners in Southern and oil-producing states, despite receiving substantial allocations from the federation account. In contrast, pensioners in some Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are receiving between N3,500 and N18,000 monthly pensions.
However, Musa noted that pensioners in Kaduna State are a rare exception, with a minimum pension of N30,000 per month implemented by the state government in 2020. The union is now pushing for a 50% increase in pension payouts, aligning with the new national minimum wage of N70,000.
“We are anticipating that the 50% increase would be approved in line with the new N70,000 national minimum wage,” Musa said. “Even under the Federal Government, some pensioners are receiving N10,000 minimum pension. We are hoping that the Federal Government will balance it up so that no pensioner will receive less than N70,000 as his/her monthly pension.”
The union is also advocating for workers who retired under the contributory pension scheme (CPS) to receive their benefits promptly. However, Musa lamented that these retirees are facing numerous challenges, including delayed payments and unremitted contributions.
“Pensioners under the CPS are facing formidable challenges because some of them retired in the last 10 years and yet to draw their benefits,” Musa said. “It is really pathetic; this is happening in Kaduna and other states.”
The union blames the situation on the failure of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to remit monthly contributions to individual workers’ accounts. Musa emphasized that once a worker retires, they should be placed on pension within three months and receive their lump sum.
The plight of Nigeria’s pensioners has sparked widespread concern, with many calling for urgent action to address their welfare and well-being. As the government reviews its pension policies, it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that retirees receive a fair and sustainable income.
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