Federal Pensioners Protest in Lagos Over Unpaid ₦32,000 Pension Increase

A group of federal pensioners staged a protest at the Lagos office of the Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate (PTAD) on Monday, demanding the immediate payment of a ₦32,000 pension increase approved by the Federal Government. The retirees lamented that the delay in payment has left them in a state of financial hardship.

The protesters, under the leadership of the chairman of the Coalition of the Federal Pensioners, Lagos Chapter, Mukaila Ogunbote, carried placards with various inscriptions to express their frustration. Ogunbote told reporters that the pension increase, which was approved by President Bola Tinubu, has not been implemented for months, pushing many retirees “to the brink of survival.” He also directly accused the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, of being a roadblock to the payments. “The minister should give us our money,” Ogunbote stated.

In an attempt to calm the situation, a PTAD liaison officer, Cashmir Audu, addressed the protesting pensioners. Audu confirmed that the President had indeed ordered the payment of the ₦32,000 increment. However, he explained that the delay was due to a lack of available funds.

The protest highlights a long-running issue concerning pension payments. Reports from late last year and early this year show that the Federal Government had approved a new minimum pension of ₦32,000, particularly for retirees from various salary schemes including paramilitary, police, and the armed forces. Despite these approvals, the non-payment has led to repeated expressions of grievance from pensioners across the country.