The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), South-West Zone, has threatened to drag state governments to court over their failure to implement approved pension increases and other outstanding entitlements, despite repeated ultimatums.

The South-West Secretary of the union, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, issued the warning on Thursday during a regional meeting of the NUP held at the Pensions House, Kolabalogun area of Osogbo, Osun State.

Abatan said previous engagements with governments were based on a clear understanding that all consequential pension adjustments and negotiated benefits would be honoured, warning that continued neglect by some states would no longer be tolerated.

“Those governments that have refused to put into consideration the increases arising from consequential adjustments and other agreed entitlements will be taken to court. We have given several ultimatums which they have chosen to ignore,” he said.

He listed the outstanding entitlements to include a 142 per cent pension increase approved about 15 years ago, as well as 33 per cent, 30 per cent and 50 per cent adjustments, the 20 per cent across-the-board increase approved in 2024, and the ₦32,000 across-the-board increment approved in September 2024.

According to him, any governor who has failed to address these obligations would face legal action from the union.

While lamenting worsening insecurity and economic hardship in the country, Abatan commended the Federal Government for showing greater commitment to pensioners’ welfare compared to many state governments.

“It is quite surprising that despite all the challenges, the Federal Government is doing better for pensioners. The only major issue we had was the delay in the payment of the ₦32,000 across-the-board increment approved around August 2024, but this has now been paid, including arrears,” he noted.

However, he faulted the Federal Government for failing to implement the ₦25,000 monthly payment approved for vulnerable pensioners during the minimum wage negotiations, saying the entitlement ought to have been paid for over a year.

Abatan urged pensioners to be politically conscious and to support only governments that prioritise their welfare.
“Pensioners should only vote for governments that take care of them. As politicians move around making promises, we must shine our eyes and not be deceived with token gifts like Ankara fabrics or a few congos of garri that will not last a week,” he cautioned.

He also appealed to NUP members in the South-West to remain united, while raising concerns over internal disputes in Ekiti State.

“Apart from Ekiti State, where some dissidents have formed an association not recognised by law, there is unity across the zone. We call on the Nigeria Labour Congress and other stakeholders to intervene and stop attempts to break our union in Ekiti,” he said.

On security, Abatan advised pensioners to be cautious in their movements and associations, while calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, to intensify efforts to address the country’s security challenges.

He also urged the newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, to live up to expectations based on his track record.

Abatan further criticised state governments for failing to translate increased federal allocations and internally generated revenue, following the removal of fuel subsidy, into improved welfare for citizens, particularly pensioners.

“There is more money in government coffers today, yet pensioners are not better off. This is not the hallmark of a welfarist government,” he said, urging governors to prioritise citizens’ welfare over political interests.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ekiti State Council, Comrade Dr Israel Taiwo, said the regional meeting was aimed at harmonising common challenges faced by pensioners across the South-West and projecting a united front.

Taiwo lamented the failure of governments to honour negotiated agreements, noting that such neglect had contributed to frequent industrial actions across the country.

“These are people who spent a minimum of 30 years serving the government. After exhausting them, the system now finds it difficult to pay them back in old age,” he said.

While acknowledging some progress in Ekiti State, particularly the addition of ₦20,000 across-the-board to workers’ wages during the last minimum wage negotiation, Taiwo noted that several other agreements remained unfulfilled.

He reaffirmed the NLC’s commitment to pensioners’ welfare, stressing that the labour centre would continue to push the demands of retired workers alongside those of the active workforce.

“NLC is an umbrella body, and we have been with pensioners from day one. We cannot abandon them in their old age. Many of them are our parents, uncles, and friends. They deserve dignity, not hardship,” he said.