LAGOS — Tension reportedly rose at the Lagos House in Ikeja on Monday after police officers fired teargas at pensioners who had gathered at the government premises to demand payment of outstanding pension-related benefits and the implementation of approved increases.
The protesters, made up of members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and retirees enrolled under the Contributory Pension Scheme, arrived at the Lagos State Government premises to press their demands for action on pension increases, wage awards and other entitlements they said remained unpaid.
The retirees said their protest was prompted by what they described as prolonged delays in implementing approved pension adjustments and settling accumulated arrears. They also demanded the payment of other outstanding benefits owed to them by the Lagos State Government.
The demonstration was reportedly disrupted when police officers deployed teargas against the protesting pensioners. The action forced some of the retirees to leave the premises as the situation became tense.
The use of teargas reportedly angered the protesters, who questioned the decision to deploy force against retirees gathered to demand payment of benefits they said were due to them.
The pensioners maintained that their demands were centred on the implementation of approved pension increases and wage awards, as well as the settlement of accumulated arrears and other outstanding entitlements.
Their protest followed an August 31 deadline issued to the Lagos State Government to address their concerns, particularly the issues surrounding pension enhancement and wage awards.
The retirees had warned that they could take further action if the government failed to respond to their demands by the deadline. Monday’s demonstration was therefore intended to intensify pressure on the state authorities and draw renewed attention to the unresolved pension issues.
The pensioners said delays in receiving their entitlements had continued to create financial difficulties for many retirees, particularly as households face increasing living costs.
For the retirees, the dispute is not simply about administrative delays but about access to benefits they depend on after leaving active public service. They are calling on the Lagos State Government to address the outstanding payments and implement the pension-related increases they have been demanding.
The incident at Lagos House has consequently added a confrontation between pensioners and security personnel to an already prolonged dispute over their outstanding benefits, with the retirees continuing to demand a resolution from the state government.
Police Teargas Pensioners Protesting Unpaid Arrears at Lagos House
