The organised labour in Ogun State has rejected the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme, slated to begin on July 1, 2025, over the state’s failure to remit N82bn in workers’ deductions to Pension Funds Administrators over the past 17 years.
The labour leaders, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and Joint Negotiating Council, made the demand at a briefing in Abeokuta, the state capital.
They gave the state government a 72-hour ultimatum to suspend the implementation of the scheme or postpone it to a later date when all administrative and financial necessities are in place.
The workers attributed the failure of the pension scheme to the state government’s inconsistencies in implementing the 2008 Pension Act, as amended in 2013.
They cited the non-existence of a State Bureau of Contributory Pension, a mandatory Contributory Pension Board, a comprehensive register, and a database on Contributory Pension, among others.
The NLC Chairman, Hammed-Benco Ademola, stated that the workers’ rejection of the implementation is due to the government’s lack of preparedness to deliver on the expectations of the Contributory Pension Scheme. He demanded the suspension of the Ogun State Pension Reform Law and called for dialogue with the state government within the next 72 hours.
The TUC Chairman, Akeem Lasisi, warned that if the government fails to yield to the workers’ demands, they will consult with the workers and determine the next line of action. The workers are already tense and frustrated over the issue, and the labour leaders are determined to find a solution.
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