Labour

Retirees Demand Suspension of Contributory Pension Scheme

By Web News 257

Oluwatoyin Adegoke

Retirees in Ogun State have described the current Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, as an unfriendly policy that does not meet their expectations.

The retirees, who staged a peaceful protest at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Mr Governor, Please Save Our Souls,” “No to CPS,” and “CPS is Killing, Give Us DBS.”

Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved pensioners, Mr. Daniel Akanji said those who retired from the state service in July 2025 were facing severe financial hardship under the scheme, alleged that government had failed to meet its obligations, including non-remittance of almost 18 years of their deductions into the scheme.

The protesters appealed to the state government to disengage the policy or suspend it entirely, noting that past administrations had delayed similar policies in the interest of workers’ welfare.

They lamented that the current scheme had brought untold hardship, with many retirees unable to meet basic family, health and daily needs.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of State Pensions, Mrs. Arinola Adetayo, said all issues relating to the Contributory Pension Scheme had been addressed, noting that retirees were already benefiting from the state government’s palliatives.

Mrs. Adetayo added that arrears of CPS deductions, including returns on investment, were being paid into retirees’ Retirement Savings Accounts, RSA, for those who had submitted the required documents.

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Legislature

OGHA Moves to Fast-Track Contributory Pension Implementation

By Web News 342

By Omolara Adasofunjo

The Ogun State House of Assembly, OGHA, has summoned the management teams of all state-owned tertiary institutions, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, and the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of State Pensions for a meeting ahead of the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Establishments and Public Service Matters, Dr Babatunde Tella, issued the invitation after a joint session with the Ogun State Pension Fund Management Committee.

He said the engagement would help address gaps in the implementation framework, review the nine-point agenda agreed in the MOU with organised labour, and ensure that public tertiary institutions comply with statutory pension requirements.

Dr Tella, accompanied by lawmakers Mr Damilare Bello, Mr Yusuf Amosun, Mr Waliu Owode, Mr Wasiu Ayodele, Mr Olakunle Sobunkola and Mr Kayode Soneye, assured that the Assembly would continue working with the executive to resolve outstanding issues under the scheme.

The Permanent Secretary and Chair of the Pension Fund Management Committee, Mrs Ariola Adetayo, and committee member Alhaji Kunle Adegbite, told lawmakers that seven of the MOU items had already been implemented.

They added that payments would commence once challenges around updating beneficiaries’ PINs were fully resolved.

They reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing pension concerns in the state and described the scheme as the best model when properly executed, commending the administration’s efforts to improve the welfare of retiring workers.

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Security

Retired Police Officers Protest, Lament Fate Under PENCOM

By Web News 492

Retired Police Officers, under the aegis of contributory pension scheme have stormed the National Assembly to protest several months of unpaid pensions by the federal government.

The Retired Police Officers carried placards and stood by the Mopol gate entrance of the National Assembly, calling on the federal government to remove them from the contributory pension scheme.

Some of the placards read “NPF pension defrauding police retirees, SOS”, “Police officers are dying in penury under the contributory pension scheme”, and “CPS is a death sentence against police!”

Recall that in September 2021, retired officers from about 27 states stormed the National Assembly in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, demanding their pension payments.

The retirees, representing various state chapters, however, lamented the severe hardships they faced due to the failure of the National Pension Commission to pay their entitlements.

Addressing journalists during the protest, the National Coordinator and a retired Superintendent of Police, Christopher Effiong, explained that they were at the National Assembly complex to let the world know that their agitation had been with the legislature.

Offiong, who is also the chairman of Cross River State chapter of police retirees, explained that the agitation had been with the National Assembly for the past three years, saying “we agitated that we should be exempted from contributing pension scheme such as their counterparts from other security agencies like armed forces and other intelligence communities.

”This scheme has sent a lot of our retirees to the grave. We have a bill here, bill to exit contributing pension scheme. That bill had been here for over two years, it has passed first reading, second reading, we came here for public hearing, but till today, nothing is happening, not is done.

”If it is conspiracy by the Nigerian government to kill us, then let us die here. We are dying, we cannot feed our family.”

But in a swift reaction, the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Yinusa Akintunde, APC, Oyo Central, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the Senate, disclosed that the National Assembly was currently holding a meeting with Police authorities to resolve the problem.

Vanguard / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Economy

Ogun Organized Labour Calls for Remodelling of Pension Scheme

By Web News 753

The Organized Labour in Ogun State has called on the government to remodel Contributory Pension Scheme in order not to put the retirement life of workers in jeopardy.

Ogun State Chairman, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Mr Olubunmi Fajobi made the call while speaking at this year’s Workers Day celebration held at MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta.

Mr Olubunmi Fajobi, who noted that contributory pension scheme in Ogun State was in comatose, said the monetary value of deducted but unremitted fund from the state employees was over 40 billion Naira.

Also, Ogun State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Emmanuel Bankole, who noted that net salary was still being paid instead of gross salary, urged the State government to resolve all outstanding issues including arrears of leave allowance and cooperative deductions.

While stressing the need for government to monitor activities of some investors, Mr Bankole said some investors engaged in unfair trade practices.

He also called on the state and federal government to unconditionally submit to the principle of autonomy and allow local government, judiciary and legislative arm of governments to deliver their constitutional mandate for good governance.

Addressing the workers, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun explained his administration was fully committed to clearing outstanding deductions from workers salaries on a quarterly basis, adding that the state government would set aside a minimum of N500 million naira to clear the backlog of gratuities of pensioners. 

Governor Abiodun also said that his administration had concluded arrangement to renovate the state’s secretariat as part of efforts to provide conductive working environment for the entire workforce. 

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Bolanle Adesida

Economy

Southwest Pensioners Protest over Unpaid Arrears

By Web News 794 Post a comment

Pensioners from Southwest under the contributory pension scheme have appealed to the National Pension Commission to begin payment of their fifteen and thirty three percent of their pension arrears since 2017.

The retirees made the plea during a protest to Broadcasting House, Radio Nigeria, Dugbe, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Speaking on behalf of the pensioners, the Southwest vice chairman of the Union, Chief Joseph Oyadiran, stated that the fifteen and thirty three percent of their monthly pension had been included in the annual budget since 2017.

Chief Oyadiran lamented the hardship being faced by pensioners under the contributory scheme due to the meager pension being paid to them.

While calling on the National Pension Commission to resume its twice in a year meetings with the pensioners, which had been suspended since 2019.

 Chief Oyadiran added that they were forced to embark on the protest as their save-our-souls letters written to the National Assembly and other well meaning Nigerians had not yielded any positive result.

Olaolu Fawole