Pensioners Protest Over 35 Months’ Unpaid Entitlements

Scores of pensioners from defunct and existing federal agencies, including Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), staged a protest on Monday in Lagos, decrying years of unpaid pension entitlements and government neglect.

Chanting solidarity songs and bearing placards, the aggrieved retirees accused the Federal Government of abandoning its statutory obligations, leaving them without up to 35 months’ worth of pension arrears.

They also lamented the non-payment of the N35,000 palliative earlier promised to cushion economic hardship for vulnerable groups.

“This is not the retirement we were promised after serving the nation diligently for decades,” one protester said. “Many of our colleagues have died waiting for their dues; others are living in abject poverty.”

The pensioners demanded a clear timeline for the settlement of their entitlements, expressing frustration over the prolonged silence and uncertainty from the authorities. According to them, the government’s inaction has left them in financial distress and emotional despair.