The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has revealed that some retirees in the country are still receiving as low as N500 per month. Alhassan Musa, the Secretary of the union in Kaduna State, described this situation as “pathetic” during an interview with Pathwaynews.
Musa highlighted that many retirees, who have devoted their lives to serving the nation, are now facing severe financial hardships. He pointed out that pensioners in the Southern and oil-producing states are particularly affected, despite these regions receiving substantial allocations from the federal account. In contrast, retirees in some Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are faring better, with monthly pensions ranging from N3,500 to N18,000.
In Kaduna State, however, retirees are receiving a minimum of N30,000 per month, a benefit implemented in 2020 during Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i’s administration. Musa is advocating for a 50 percent increase in the minimum pension to enhance the social and economic well-being of retirees. He argued that this adjustment is essential given the current socio-economic realities in the country and should be aligned with the new N70,000 national minimum wage.
Musa also urged the Federal Government to ensure no pensioner receives less than N70,000 per month, advocating for parity between pensions and workers’ salaries. He called on Governor Uba Sani to follow El-Rufa’i’s example by being the first governor to implement the N70,000 minimum pension.
The NUP Secretary expressed concern over retirees under the contributory pension system, many of whom face significant delays in accessing their benefits. He noted that some retirees, despite having retired in the past decade, have yet to receive their pensions.
Musa absolved Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and the Pension Commission (PENCOM) of blame, attributing the issues to the failure of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to remit monthly contributions on time.
