The National Union of Pensioners has said that retirees in some states receive as low as N450, N500, and N1,000 as a monthly pension.
This was said by union president Godwin Abumisi on Thursday during an Abuja press briefing.
He bemoaned the nation’s economic crisis, pointing out that a great deal of its citizens are going through serious hardships.
“In Nigeria, the government does not think about the poor people.
“Otherwise, how can pensioners in Enugu receive as low as N450 as a monthly pension? We have been saying this but it seems as if we are crying wolf but it is a reality,” he said.
Abumusi noted the widespread issue of retirees receiving extremely low pension payments, ranging from N450 to N1,000 was particularly prevalent in the South-Eastern states.
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The NUP President went on to say that the union has continuously argued for pension harmonisation, which is the reason for the disparity in pension rates across the nation.
Abumisi emphasized that numerous states’ failure to enact the revised minimum wage of N18,000 in 2010 and N30,000 in 2019 has made the situation worse.
He pointed out that pension increases in line with these wage reviews have not materialized in the states mentioned because numerous state governments have failed to enact and monitor minimum wage laws.
The federal government expressed interest in increasing retirees’ pensions in 2023.
This was mentioned in the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission’s report on pension harmonisation that was sent to the federal government.
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (All Sectoral Units/Parastatals) Nationwide executive committee was informed by NSIWC that the commission was investigating the report that the group had submitted.
