Federal pensioners protest in Lagos over delayed ₦32,000 increase
A group of federal pensioners staged a protest on Monday at the Lagos office of the Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate, calling for the immediate implementation of a ₦32,000 pension increase that was authorized by President Bola Tinubu.The demonstration was led by Mukaila Ogunbote, chairman of the Coalition of Federal Pensioners in Lagos, who held signs reading “PTAD is all about you, stop selection” and “No ₦32,000 increment.”
Ogunbote stated that the delay has pushed numerous retirees “to the brink of survival,” accusing the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, of hindering the payments. “He needs to give us our money,” he asserted.
President Tinubu approved the increase last year and, just last Wednesday, instructed the implementation of the “long-overdue pension increases and a minimum pension guarantee” to support the most vulnerable pensioners within the Contributory Pension Scheme. This order came after a briefing from Omolola Oloworaran, the Director General of the National Pension Commission.
Cashmir Audu, PTAD Liaison Officer, informed the demonstrators that while the ₦32,000 increase had been authorized, there was a lack of funding. “It is a civil right of pensioners to protest at any time. We have consistently stated that the ₦32,000 was approved last year, but unfortunately, we do not have the funds,” he explained.
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