N4,000 minimum pension: Retirees urge Adamawa govt to review take-home pay
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Adamawa State has called on the government to review the minimum monthly pension of retirees, which has stagnated at N4,000 for the past 23 years.
The union’s chairman, Mohammed Sali, who also serves as Chairman of the Forum of Pensioners for 19 Northern states and Abuja, disclosed this in Yola. He expressed optimism that Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri would address the long-standing issue.
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Sali commended the governor for consistently paying retirees their monthly pensions since assuming office, as well as releasing N8 billion to offset outstanding gratuities of state and local government workers. He described the governor’s intervention as unprecedented compared to past administrations.
“We are hopeful that the governor will also review the minimum pension from N4,000 to over N40,000. This will go a long way in alleviating the hardship faced by our members,” he said.
The union leader recalled that before Fintiri’s reforms, local government retirees often waited between five and nine years before receiving their pensions. The situation has since improved, with new retirees now placed on the pension payroll the month after retirement.
He also praised the governor for directing that the union’s monthly dues be remitted promptly into its account, saying such gestures have strengthened the organization.
Sali urged pensioners to remain patient, assuring them that the governor’s promises would soon translate into tangible relief. “If previous governors had done what Governor Fintiri is doing now, there would have been no backlog of gratuities or complaints about unpaid benefits,” he added.
The NUP chairman reiterated that the current N4,000 minimum monthly pension is grossly inadequate in light of rising living costs and urged authorities to implement an upward review without delay. He maintained that retirees, who dedicated their lives to public service, deserve a dignified livelihood in retirement.
