Pensioners plan nationwide ‘naked’ protest over unpaid N32,000 arrears
The Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria has declared its intention to hold a nationwide ‘naked’ protest to emphasize its demands for the payment of overdue pension increment arrears and supplementary allowances owed to its members.
Mukaila Ogunbote, who serves as both National Chairman of the Coalition and Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NIPOST Chapter), revealed this plan in a statement released on Friday in Lagos.
Ogunbote mentioned that the protest is set to occur on December 8 if the Federal Government does not settle the arrears of a N32,000 pension increment and a N25,000 palliative allowance that were sanctioned in 2023.
He conveyed the pensioners' frustration, stating, "The Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General’s Office are not taking us seriously, so all pensioners must rally together to combat this injustice."
As per Ogunbote, the scheduled protests will be held in Abuja, Lagos, and various other states across the nation.
He clarified that during the protests, demonstrators will gather at the offices of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate as well as in front of Nigeria Television Authority stations.
The Chairman called on leaders and secretaries of all organizations within the coalition to actively mobilize their members, emphasizing the urgent need for solidarity to achieve their objectives.
He made a direct appeal to the members to showcase their struggles, asserting, “We need to reveal the injuries that our clothes are hiding. The protest will continue until we receive an alert for a N32,000 pension increment and N25,000 for six months. Those unable to stand for long should bring mats.” He concluded with a directive: “All pensioners must unite and advocate for their rights.”
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