The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State chapter, has threatened to disrupt academic and administrative activities at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso and the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, over the alleged refusal of their managements to implement Governor Seyi Makinde’s directive on pension increases.

Addressing journalists at the union’s state headquarters in Agbarigo on Monday, the NUP State Secretary, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, said aggrieved retirees would begin daily mass protests from Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

Abatan, who spoke alongside the union’s National Treasurer, Comrade Jare Jokanola, representing the National President, and the Senior Assistant General Secretary, Comrade Waheed Olojede, said the union had also approached the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to declare a three-day warning strike across the two institutions to compel compliance

He said the planned industrial action was necessary to ensure the implementation of the governor’s directive, stressing that “an injury to one is an injury to all.”

The union accused the Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Professor Olawale Adebayo Olakulehin, and the Vice-Chancellor of Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Professor Lanre Olaniyan, of refusing to comply with the state government’s directive.

The NUP further alleged that both officials had displayed “academic arrogance, insensitivity to the plight of pensioners and self-centredness” by failing to implement the approved pension increase.

According to the union, Governor Makinde directed in January 2025 that the lowest-paid pensioner in Oyo State should receive a minimum monthly pension of ₦25,000.

Abatan said, “The State Executive of our Union, at an emergency meeting this morning, has directed that, from Tuesday, August 18, 2026, a massive protest to LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, be commenced by the aggrieved Pensioners of those institutions, and that they be joined by all Pensioners from the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government in those areas. Retired Primary School Teachers and Local Government Pensioners in those areas would also join the fray. This is in tandem with the Labour aphorism which states that “An injury to one is an injury to all. This is going to be the first menu of the struggle”.

“For its affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress, our Union will be soliciting its intervention to declare a 3-day warning strike in Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, and LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso. This is because “A worker today is a pensioner tomorrow”. NLC, Oyo State, under the leadership of Comrade Waheed Olojede, carried out a similar strike with this same LAUTECH on January 24-26, 2018.”

He noted further that the governor ordered that all unimplemented pension increases—including the 2010 thirty-three per cent pension increase, the 2019 consequential adjustment of pensions, the January 2024 twenty per cent pension increase, and the August 2024 seventeen thousand, five hundred naira adjustment—must be factored into the pensions of qualified beneficiaries without waiting for formal circulars.

While pension-paying organs of the government and other tertiary institutions such as the Oyo State College of Education in Lanlate, Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic in Eruwa, the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology in Igbo-ora, and more recently the Michael Koleosho Polytechnic in Saki, which complied just as the press conference began, have dutifully honoured the governor’s directive, LAUTECH and Emmanuel Alayande University have dragged their feet for nineteen months.

The union recalled how the CMD of LAUTECH repeatedly delayed meetings and ultimately issued a last-minute invitation letter on July 30, 2026, which the union rightly dismissed as a blatant ploy to derail their scheduled press briefing.

The NUP lamented that while these erring managements eagerly disbursed palliative bonuses when ordered by the state government, they have deliberately scoffed at constitutional provisions by implementing the minimum wage for active workers while completely abandoning their retirees.

Citing sections 210(3) and 173(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the union maintained that pensions must be increased whenever the wages and salaries of workers are increased.

Abatan warned that the impending daily protests will draw participants from ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners within those regions, as workers of today are the pensioners of tomorrow.

“LAUTECH, Ogbomoso has the knack of trampling upon the rights of its workers. LAUTECH sacked 256 workers in 2018; now it is the Pensioners to be trampled upon! A letter intimating His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde, regarding today’s press conference and our decision will be forwarded to him without delay.

“The letter will be necessary in order to assure His Excellency that our actions are not tailored to embarrass his “Pensioner-friendly administration” but to whip into line the Management of

LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, which had scoffed at and so blatantly disobeyed His Excellency.

“Our protests at LAUTECH and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, which will continue on a daily basis, will be covered by the Press until our demands are met”, he noted.

He concluded by noting that a formal letter is being dispatched to Governor Makinde to assure his administration that the planned showdown is not meant to embarrass his pensioner-friendly government, but rather to whip the recalcitrant managements of LAUTECH and Emmanuel Alayande University into line until every kobo of the 19-month arrears is fully paid.

“In January 2026, His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde, after due consultations with our Union, directed that the least-paid Pensioner in Oyo State should earn N25,000 per month, with effect from January 2026. He also directed that all unimplemented pension increases from 2010 (33% pension increase); consequential adjustment of pensions (2019); 20% pension increase (January 2024); and 17,500 (out of 32,000, effective August 2024) be factored into the pensions of those Pensioners who are qualified for the increases.

“Pronto, the pension-paying organs of government got to work and made the payment possible, effective January 2025. There was no circular to that effect. Those organs believe that any directive from the Governor is law, with or without a circular, and must be carried out strictly.

“Initially, the Boards and Managements of all the Tertiary Institutions refused to carry out the Governor’s directive. They insisted they would not do it until His Excellency gave them a circular to that effect. Our Union wrote to the Chief Executive Officers and pleaded with them.”

“Later, the Management of Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate, and the Rector of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, heeded the call for wisdom and implemented the increases for their Pensioners.

“For the other Tertiary Institutions, notably LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso; Michael Adeniyi Koleoso Polytechnic, Saki; and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, we drew up a timetable to visit their Management to appeal to them.

“We were warmly received by the Vice Chancellor of Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, and led to believe that the VC would honour his promise to effect the pension increase. Little did we know we were being fooled? Our contingent went to Michael Koleosho Polytechnic, Saki, on 10th June, 2026.

“We were taken aback when we discovered that the Rector was not around and did not want to meet us. The Deputy Rector, Dr Caleb Adejumobi, did not know why we were at the Polytechnic. Apparently, he and other Management Staff had not been briefed on the letter we wrote to that Institution on 1st June, 2026.

“The Deputy Rector was in the class teaching the Students when we arrived at the School. The State Assistant Secretary of our Union, Comrade Banji Koleoso, had to read the letter we had earlier sent to the School to inform the Deputy Rector of our mission to the School.

“We initially wrote the Chief Medical Director, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, on June 1, 2026. He replied on June 10, 2026. When we reacted to his June 10th letter, he replied on 19th June, 2026, postponing meeting us “till further notice”. When it was 54 days after the Chief Medical Director, LAUTECH, Professor Olawale Adebayo Olakulehin, wrote that letter, our Union wrote him another letter on Friday, July 24, 2026, giving him seven days within which a pension increase should be effected for Pensioners in LAUTECH. The seventh day expires today.

“Interestingly, the Chief Medical Director, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, wrote a letter to us at the close of office on Thursday, July 30, 2026, calling us to a meeting today, August 3, 2026. We saw that letter as a ploy to derail today’s Press Conference. We replied to him, saying our Union is no more inclined to meet him, having waited for the past 19 months for the pensions of our members to be upgraded! He should do the needful by attending to our demands”, Abatan explained. (The Nation)

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