THE NIGERIAN Union of Pensioners (NUP), Lagos State Council, on Monday began a warning strike in Badagry over unpaid pension liabilities.
The union said the action was aimed at drawing the Lagos State Government’s attention to pensioners’ hardship and demanding improved welfare.
Mr Olufemi Olarewaju, NUP Lagos chairman, made this known through Mr Abdulmalik Abiodun, chairman of the union’s Badagry zone.
Olarewaju said the strike was also intended to compel the government to increase pensions and settle outstanding liabilities owed retirees.
He said President Bola Tinubu recently approved N758 billion for pension increases for federal pensioners, which was paid in November 2025.
“The Lagos State Government under Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu promised to implement the same for Lagos State pensioners in May 2025,” he said.
According to him, Sanwo-Olu received the federal pensioners’ implementation template in January 2026 and referred it to LASPEC’s Director-General.
“Since then, no pensioner has been paid, in spite of pressure from the union,” Olarewaju said.
He said the union consequently issued an ultimatum demanding that pensioners’ accounts with various pension fund administrators be credited by Aug. 19.
“The ultimatum lapsed on Wednesday without action from the state government,” he said.
Olarewaju said the warning protest was intended to signal that a larger protest would begin on Aug. 31.
“Pensioners in Lagos State will storm the seat of government in Alausa and the Lagos State House of Assembly,” he said.
He said the pensioners would remain at the locations until the government addressed their demands.
Olarewaju urged Sanwo-Olu to settle all outstanding pension liabilities and release funds to retirees who exited service from 2024.
He said the affected retirees had their files cleared by the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), but remained unpaid.
The NUP chairman identified two categories of pensioners: those under the Defined Benefit Scheme and those under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
“Those under the DBS are owed 57 months’ arrears of consequential adjustment arising from implementation of the 2019 new minimum wage,” he said.
He said CPS pensioners were demanding payment of the 15 per cent minimum wage adjustment of 2010.
They are also seeking the 33 per cent consequential adjustment from 2019 and N32,000 wage award owed from January 2024.
“We are also clamouring for the movement of pensioners in parastatals to the mainstream public service for ease of payment,” Olarewaju said.
He alleged that more than 2,000 pensioners had died over the past decade while waiting for their entitlements from the Lagos State Government.
“Pensioners in Lagos State deserve better treatment than what we are going through,” he said.
Olarewaju said a Level 17 pensioner earns less than N60,000 monthly, describing the situation as unacceptable.
“We have been pauperised, we die weekly due to malnutrition and have been turned into beggars after glorious service.
“We should be treated with dignity and honour, not neglected, because we laid the golden eggs,” Olarewaju said. (NAN)
