Lagos pensioners want to meet with Governor Sanwo-Olu.

Members of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, have petitioned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to meet with him about the condition of pensioners in the state under the new Contribution Pension Scheme NUP/CPS.

“We still have so many outstanding Pensions from 2020 till date,” said Omisande Michael and Olagbaye Johnson, Chairman and General Secretary, respectively, in the plea. The Lagos State NUP/CPS Sector is writing to draw your attention to the frightening and dreadful situation that Lagos State Contributory Pensioners are currently in. As a concerned citizen and advocate for social justice, your government must address these challenges as soon as possible.

“Contributory Pensioners who have served Lagos State with unwavering dedication and are now living in perilous circumstances, many of us struggling to make ends meet due to insufficient monthly pension payments that have failed to keep up with the cost of living.”

“The primary reason for this is the failure to remit our accrued benefits into our Retirement Pension Account in 2007, which would have increased our capital in our Retirement Saving Account,RSA.” In addition, the gratuity was removed from the new Pension Scheme because the government wished to lower the expense of governance.

“It’s unbelievable that a Director on grade level 17 earns an average of N70,000 monthly pension under the Lagos State government’s Contributory Pension Scheme Reform Act, 2007.” Deputy Director N52,000, whereas the monthly pension for grade level 14 is N42,000. N12,000 was given to students in grades 7 through 9. It may be of interest to you, sir, that grades 1 through 4 have been paid off. There is no monthly pension because they are aliens in their father’s country.

“On a monthly basis, we receive an average of ten notifications of death of our members.” Several letters have been sent to your respected office on the subject of the aforementioned, with no favorable answer.

“We would appreciate it if you could grant us an audience to discuss these unwavering issues with you because we could no longer bear the hardship.” Yet another fuel subsidy. The sacrifices of our forefathers are now being made in Lagos state. Do something right now, Mr. Governor.”

The pensioners want “immediate payment of our members’ outstanding bonds from 2020 to date, as well as an urgent and comprehensive review of the Pension payment system with a view to fully implementing the Pension scheme of service documents.” That is, short-fall payments as a result of the non-remittance of our accrued benefit to our RSA account as of 2007.

They also demanded the reinstatement of gratuity payments to all categories of CPS employees, claiming that the “Contributory Pensioners of Lagos State could no longer bear the adverse effects of the current hard times, we are dying gradually, we therefore solicit your consideration and compassion to urgently do something, without further delay, to alleviate the unbearable suffering we are passing through.”