Pensioners in Taraba State have decried the failure of successive administrations to implement pension adjustments, warning that they would mobilise to vote out any government that neglects their welfare in the 2027 elections.
The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) chairman in the state, El-Nathan Bola, said in Jalingo on Friday that retirees were going through untold hardship due to the government’s refusal to adjust their pensions in line with federal directives.
He accused Governor Agbu Kefas of reneging on his pledge to implement the N30,000 minimum wage for retirees starting from June 2025.
“Pensioners are not hunting dogs for anybody. We will mobilise and support any reliable person from any party or religion without fear or favour,” Bola said.
He described the governor’s unfulfilled promise as a major disappointment to retirees who have waited for years for an improved pension scheme.
Bola noted that while civil servants in Taraba benefit from the N30,000 and even the N70,000 minimum wage, pensioners have been sidelined. He further recalled that pension reviews approved by the federal government, including the 33 percent increase with arrears in 2014 and consequential adjustments from the N18,000 minimum wage in 2019, had been ignored in the state.
The NUP chairman also accused the government of mishandling gratuity payments. According to him, although Governor Kefas initially promised to release N2 billion to clear arrears for 2013 retirees, only N100 million was later disbursed, and that amount, he alleged, was selectively paid to a few junior retirees.
He urged the government to take urgent steps to address the plight of pensioners, warning that their voting strength would be decisive in the next election cycle.
