The Nigerian Government, through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), has acknowledged the concerns of pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), revealing that the payment of their accrued rights is contingent upon the availability of government funds.
A memo signed by the Director of Administration at the OAGF Musa Raheem, was sent to the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), informing them that the allocations for January to March and April to June 2024 had been released to the National Pension Commission (PENCOM). However, the memo clarified that further releases are dependent on the availability of funds, with efforts underway to address the remaining pension liabilities before the end of the year.
The pensioners had previously threatened to take further action, planning a protest at the Ministry of Finance on December 16 if their 21-month backlog of accrued rights is not settled. Their protest followed a peaceful rally at the Ministry of Finance on November 12, 2024, during which they also wrote to the Coordinating Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, expressing appreciation for his “mature and civilized” handling of their grievances, despite the unresolved pension issues.
Pensioners’ Demands
The pensioners are demanding the immediate release of the outstanding 21 months of accrued rights for retirees from March 2023 to November 2024. Additionally, they are seeking the payment of unpaid pension increments, including a 15% increase in 2007, a 33% increase in 2010, and a 20% to 28% increase in 2024.
The union leadership has warned that they have a mandate from their members nationwide to take further action if their demands are not met. They are calling for the Nigerian Government to declare a state of emergency in the CPS sector and take immediate steps to clear all outstanding pension liabilities before December 16, 2024.
