Dozens of retired members of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) took to the streets of Ibadan on Wednesday, protesting the non-payment of their approved minimum wage arrears and palliative entitlements.
The pensioners, under the umbrella of the FRCN Pensioners Association, converged at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Iyaganku, wielding placards with inscriptions such as “Our Sick Pensioners Need Money for Medication,” “Stop Deduction of Our Monthly Pension,” and “Pay Our N32,000 Arrears Now.”
Chairman of the association, Sola Ogunmola, who led the demonstration, expressed deep frustration over the federal government’s delay, saying FRCN retirees had been sidelined despite presidential directives on wage adjustments and palliatives.
“While pensioners from ministries are being paid their minimum wage arrears, those of us from FRCN are still left in limbo.
Recall that it’s been nearly two years since President Tinubu announced palliative measures for Nigerian workers, yet pensioners under both the Defined Benefit and Contributory Pension schemes are still waiting.
The pensioners lamented that the promised N25,000 palliative for pensioners has also not been disbursed, leaving many of their members, including those in dire medical need, financially stranded.
The federal government was asked to act swiftly and end what they described as a pattern of neglect.
