Retired workers in Benue State have described life after service as a daily struggle, saying prolonged delays in the payment of gratuities and pension arrears have left many facing severe hardship.
Hundreds of pensioners staged a peaceful protest in Makurdi on Wednesday, carrying sleeping mats and placards bearing inscriptions such as, “Pay us our pensions, our members are dying.”
The Concerned Pensioners Association of Benue State said repeated attempts to resolve the issues through dialogue with the state government had yielded no results, leaving retirees with no option but to take their grievances to the streets.
According to the association, gratuities dating back to 2000 remain unpaid, while state and local government pensioners are owed 38 months and 62 months of arrears, respectively.
“We have exhausted all avenues for dialogue and resolution with the Benue State Government over our demands without success. That is why we have decided to embark on this peaceful protest,” the association’s Chairman, Akosu Orban, told journalists.
Orban said the prolonged non-payment of benefits had left many pensioners unable to afford basic healthcare and other necessities, with some retirees still receiving as little as N2,000 monthly despite constitutional provisions on pension harmonisation.
“It may interest you to know that some pensioners who retired many years ago are still being paid N2,000 monthly pension. If pensions were properly harmonised, they should be receiving up to N40,000 per month,” he said.
He added that the situation had taken a serious toll on the health and dignity of retirees.
“Pensioners are dying on a daily basis because they cannot afford drugs and special diets required for age-related ailments. We have become scavengers, beggars, and destitute in the land we served diligently.”
The protest highlights growing concerns over retirement welfare and the financial insecurity confronting former public sector employees in the state, underscoring the need for urgent intervention to safeguard the dignity and wellbeing of retirees.
