The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has reported the loss of 1,500 members due to economic hardships and meagre monthly pension payouts.
The union revealed that some pensioners receive as low as N500 as a monthly pension, with those from the South East facing the brunt of inadequate compensation.
During a press conference on Thursday, the National President of the NUP, Godwin Abumisi, and General Secretary, Elder Actor Zal, expressed their concerns.
Abumisi said: “We have lost 1,500 of our members to hardship. In Nigeria, the government doesn’t think about the poor people; they only think about themselves.”
Outraged by pensioners’ poor treatment, the union declared their intention to stage a protest, even suggesting that they might hit the streets naked to draw attention to their plight.
They proposed a National Minimum Pension of N100,000 to the Tripartite Committee established by the Federal Government to negotiate the national minimum wage.
Abumisi emphasized the dire situation faced by pensioners across the country, citing monthly pensions as low as N500 in some states.
He also criticized the non-harmonization of pensions and the failure to implement previous minimum wage reviews, leading to paltry pension payouts.
The NUP president warned of mass protests nationwide, particularly in Abuja, if the Federal Government does not address their demands.
The union called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene. It urged swift action to address pensioners’ challenges, emphasizing the impact of rising living costs on their well-being.
