Pensioners Receive As Low As N450 Monthly – NUP President
The National Union of Pensioners (NUP), has said that retirees in some states like Enugu, receive as low as N450, N500, and N1,000 as a monthly pension.
The union president, Godwin Abumisi, stated this during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
He lamented the economic downturn in the country, noting that many of its members are experiencing significant hardships.
“In Nigeria, the government does not think about the poor people. Otherwise, how can pensioners in Enugu receive as low as N450 as a monthly pension? We have been saying this but it seems as if we are crying wolf but it is a reality,” he said. Abumusi noted the widespread issue of retirees receiving extremely low pension payments, ranging from N450 to N1,000 was particularly prevalent in the South-Eastern states.
The NUP President further explained that the difference in pension rates across the country was due to a lack of pension harmonisation, which the union has consistently advocated for. Abumisi stressed that the situation is exacerbated by the failure of many states to implement the reviewed minimum wage of N18,000 in 2010 and N30,000 in 2019.
He noted that the failure of many state governments to implement and review the minimum wage has further led to pension increases corresponding to these wage reviews not being realized in the referenced states. In 2023, the Federal Government indicated an interest in raising the pension of retirees.
This was contained in the report on the harmonisation of pensions submitted to the Federal Government by the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission.
NSIWC told the executive committee of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (All Sectoral Units/Parastatals) Nationwide, that the commission was following up on the report it submitted to the Federal Government as regards the pensions of retirees.
