Federal Pensioners Threaten Abuja Protest Over 21-Month Gratuity Backlog

Federal pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme have threatened to occupy the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation at Abuja if the government fails to clear the accrued gratuities owed pensioners from March 2023 to November 2024.

In a letter to the coordinating Minister of Finance and National Economy, Wale Edun, the Federal Pensioners they revealed that the government has until December 16, 2024, to meet their demands.

The pensioner’s demands include the immediate release of the outstanding 21 months of accrued rights to retired public workers from March 2023 to November 2024, payment of unpaid pension increments, including a 15 per cent increase in 2007, a 33 per cent increase in 2010, and a 20 – 28 per cent increase in 2024.

The union called on the Ministry to declare a state of emergency in the scheme and take immediate steps to clear the unpaid pension.

The letter reads, “From 12 pm on the 16th of December, 2024 all CPS retirees nationwide will make the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation at Abuja their homes until the government is ready to meet their demands.

“We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency in the Contributory Pension Scheme and to take immediate steps to clear all government’s liabilities in this sector before 16th December, 2024, if the Federal Government would not want the whole world to watch Nigerian retired senior citizens under the Contributory Pension Scheme to turn the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation at Abuja as their homes until the government is ready to meet their demands.

Listing its demands, the pensioners’ union added: “Our  main demands include: immediate release of all the outstanding 21 months of accrued rights to retired public workers from March 2023 to November 2024;  payments of all the unpaid pension increments; 15 per cent pension increase in 2007; 33 per cent pension increase in 2010; Consequential pension adjustment in 2019 following the increase in the national minimum wage and 20 per cent to 28 per cent pension increase in 2024.”

Investors King recalls that the pensioners had on November 12, 2024, staged a peaceful rally at the Ministry of Finance. However, despite promises which calmed the tension, the pensioners have yet to receive their gratuities.