Pensioners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are voicing deep frustration over the prolonged delay in the payment of their pension arrears, passionately appealing to the Federal Government for urgent action.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in February, President Bola Tinubu approved a N758 billion Treasury Bond to settle longstanding arrears owed under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The bond, initially endorsed by the Federal Executive Council, received final approval from the National Assembly on July 22, 2025.
Intended to clear decades-old pension liabilities, the bond was also expected to boost the monthly pensions of retirees to reflect current economic realities. However, several months later, many pensioners say they are still waiting — and suffering.
Hajiya Amina Lawal, a retiree, expressed disappointment, saying their hopes were raised only to be dashed by delays in implementation.
“We were happy after the announcement by the president that we are going to be paid, but we did not know we will have to wait this long for processing,” she said. “Our hopes were raised and some have died while waiting for the money to be paid. We are begging for the immediate implementation. We are too old to be on the streets.”
Another pensioner, George Ose, painted a bleak picture of life after retirement.“My family and I are hungry. I can’t pay my children’s school fees. My landlord is on my neck and to top it all, I can’t access the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) anymore,” he said.
“If you look into my eyes, you will know that I need urgent medical attention. We the pensioners in this country are suffering. After working hard, if I knew I would suffer like this, I would not have given them the services I gave them.”Joy Adewale, who retired alongside her husband in 2016, said they have been barely surviving on what she described as a “stipend.”
“It’s hunger. Look at how harsh the economy is because of our leaders. We don’t have anything to live on now. Every year they will tell us in the media that pension fund assets have increased. Why are pensioners not paid?” she asked.
“We have a constitution in the country that every five years salaries will be increased and pension will increase too.”
Evans Ubah, another pensioner, said the delay is preventing him from starting a small business. He also complained about his inability to access affordable healthcare since retiring.
“My NHIS that was stopped immediately after my retirement has been a huge challenge,” said Ubah. “I spend a lot on lab tests and drugs instead of just 10 percent. In fact, it is difficult to register for the private NHIS programme with N50,000. They are even telling me I have issues with my payment that it has not dropped for the past three months that I registered. So no access to cheap medicals.”
Ubah also made a desperate plea to the government: “Today I can’t feed myself. See how my face is.”
The pensioners are calling on the Federal Government to act swiftly, implement the approved Treasury Bond, and provide them with the financial relief they have been promised, which they have waited too long to receive.
