Retired civil servants in Ogun State on Monday staged a protest at the Governor’s Office in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, demanding the suspension of the Contributory Pension Scheme and payment of long overdue pension deductions.
The protesters accused successive administrations of failing to remit workers’ pension contributions and the government’s counterpart funding into their Retirement Savings Accounts for nearly 18 years.
They said deductions were made regularly from their salaries, but the funds were not transferred, leaving many retirees with less than N3 million after more than 30 years of service.
The pensioners also said their gratuities under the old Defined Benefit Scheme were never fully paid, alleging that previous governments ignored legal obligations and delayed implementation timelines.
Speaking for the retirees, Daniel Akanji described the scheme as a harmful policy that has pushed many pensioners into hardship. He said some retirees have been unable to afford healthcare or sponsor their children’s education, while others died due to lack of financial support.
The protesters criticised labour unions, including the Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and the Joint Negotiation Committee, for failing to defend workers and signing agreements without proper consultation.
They also questioned why people exempted from the pension scheme were appointed to oversee its implementation.
Responding to the protest, the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of State Pensions, Arinola Adetayo, asked the retirees to remain calm. She said the government had approved steps to remit outstanding arrears and credit retirees’ accounts once all required documents are submitted.
She added that monthly pension payments would begin through their Retirement Savings Accounts after the current palliative payments.
Despite the assurances, the retirees insisted that the Contributory Pension Scheme should be suspended until all arrears and gratuities are fully paid.
