The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State Council, has directed its members to begin an indefinite protest from Tuesday at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, and the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education (EAUED), Oyo, over the delay in implementing approved pension increases.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, the Oyo State Secretary of the union, Dr. Olusegun Abatan, said the protest became necessary because the management of the two institutions had yet to implement Governor Seyi Makinde’s directive on pension adjustments, despite other state-owned tertiary institutions complying. He said the protest would continue daily until the pensioners’ demands are met.
Abatan explained that Governor Makinde had, in January, after consultations with the union, approved the implementation of a N25,000 minimum pension effective from January 2026. He added that the approval also covered a 33 per cent consequential pension adjustment, a 20 per cent pension increase effective from 2010 and 2019, and the payment of N17,500 out of the approved N32,000 pension increase effective from August 2024.
According to him, the management boards of all state-owned tertiary institutions initially refused to implement the governor’s directive because there was no official circular backing the approval.
He, however, said several institutions later complied after the union wrote to their chief executive officers to present its case.
Abatan listed the institutions that had implemented the directive to include Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa; Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate; and Michael Adeniyi Koleoso Polytechnic, Saki.
He identified LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, led by its Chief Medical Director, Prof. Olawale Olakulehin, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, headed by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lanre Olaniyan, as the only two institutions yet to implement the governor’s directive.
“The management of these two institutions implemented the minimum wage for their active workers while leaving out their pensioners, in their display of arrogance and insensitivity to the plight of pensioners in the state,” Abatan said.
He added that the leadership of the two institutions had shown disregard for the union and its members.
Abatan said pensioners from the affected institutions would be joined by retirees from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) within the affected areas during the protest.
He stressed that the protest was not intended to embarrass Governor Makinde but to compel the management of the two institutions to comply with the governor’s directive on pension increases.
Also speaking, the Senior Assistant National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Mr. Waheed Olojede, said the union’s national leadership fully supports the Oyo State Council’s decision to embark on the protest.
Olojede also commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu for what he described as its ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of pensioners across the country.
