The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) expressed concern over the dire situation faced by some retirees, with reports indicating that certain individuals are receiving as little as N500 monthly in pensions.
Alhassan Musa, the NUP Secretary in Kaduna State, described these conditions as “pathetic,” highlighting that many retirees who dedicated their lives to public service are now struggling to survive.
Musa noted that the most affected pensioners are located in Southern and oil-producing states, despite those regions receiving substantial allocations from the federation account.
In contrast, pensioners in several Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) fare somewhat better, with monthly pensions ranging from N3,500 to N18,000. He pointed out that only retirees in Kaduna State benefit from a minimum pension of N30,000, a policy implemented by former Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i in 2020.
Advocating for a 50 percent increase in the minimum pension, Musa argued this adjustment is vital for improving the socio-economic conditions of retirees, given the current economic realities.
He suggested that this increment should align with the proposed N70,000 national minimum wage, asserting that no pensioner should receive less than this amount.
Musa emphasized the need for pensioners to receive similar benefits as active workers, urging the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to follow in El-Rufa’i’s footsteps by being the first to implement the N70,000 minimum pension.
He also highlighted the challenges faced by retirees under the contributory pension system, many of whom have been unable to access their benefits even after retiring for over a decade.
He clarified that the underlying issue is not with the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) or the Pension Commission (PENCOM), but rather with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) failing to remit contributions to individual accounts on time.
Musa stressed that retirees should ideally be placed on pension within three months of retirement, along with receiving their lump sum payments.
