The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Ogun State Chapter, yesterday threatened to stage a protest if Governor Dapo Abiodun fails to implement Consequential Increase in Pension and clear outstanding pension and gratuity backlog before leaving office in 2027.
The threat follows several letters written to the governor on the implementation of Consequential Increase Pension which the government was yet to respond to, a situation that might force the retirees to embark on the protest.
Although the State’s Economic Adviser and Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo during a Media Parley organised by Ministry of Budget and Planning on Monday, announced that the state government had paid eight years pension and gratuity outstanding between 2012 to 2020.
But, reacting, yesterday, the NUP’s Secretary, Com. Bola Lawal, said that although the union appreciated Abiodun’s efforts on the clearance of the backlog, but appealed to him to implement Consequential Increase in Pension and pay remaining pension and gratuity backlog before his administration ended in 2027.
Lawal lamented that pensioners in the state were really suffering because of the refusal of the state government to implement the Consequential Increase Pension which according to him would cushion the effect of economic hardship on the retirees particularly on food items and drugs as well as improve their living conditions.
He appealed to the governor to pay the remaining outstanding pension and gratuity from 2021 to 2026 before leaving office, stressing that some of the union members could not afford three square meals and pay for their healthcare service delivery due to the delay in payment of the backlog.
The Secretary said “We are planning to protest if the governor refuse to implement the Consequential Increase Pension. For example when the FG implement the Consequential those who are on N9000 pension increased to over N20,000.”
“The Consequential will cover all the grey areas that is affecting the retirees in the state, we have written many letters and approached the government several times but it appears that the governor is not willing to implement the Consequential before he go.”
“Again, we want him to pay backlog of pension and gratuity from 2021 to 2026. As a matter of fact I want to commend the government of Dapo Abiodun towards the payment of the outstanding pension and gratuity from 2012 to 2020, because if previous government have behave like him we won’t be having the problem of pension and gratuity backlog.” he added.