Members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners were planning to embark on a massive nationwide protest over the failure of the government to increase their pension.

Outgoing President of the NUP, Abel Afolayan, disclosed this in Abuja at the 11th quadrennial delegate conference of the union. He said his members would ground the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation during the protest.

Afolayan told newsmen that the union had issued to the federal government an ultimatum on the protest but nothing has been done, insisting that the pensioners cannot continue to languish in abject poverty amidst rising prices of daily needs.

 “We are protesting because they have refused to release the letter of pension increment consequential upon the minimum wage and salary adjustment to workers, two years after that was done.

“The welfare of pensioners are still terrible. The pensioners are not being treated well at all. Many pensioners are suffering. Some earn as low as N5,000 and they are not being paid as and when due. Even as we speak now, the pension increase, consequential upon the national minimum wage and salary adjustment, is yet to be effected two years after those of the workers have been done.”