By OYINKANSOLA OLADOKUN and FLORENCE ONUEGBU

The Concerned NEPA/PHCN Pensioners Pressure Group on Thursday urged the Federal Government to pay outstanding entitlements owed for more than 25 years.

Speaking at a news conference in Lagos, the Chairman, Mr Oladimeji Dunmoye, said retirees had been left in hardship since the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

Dunmoye noted that pensioners had continued to suffer in spite of repeated assurances from government and regulatory agencies about resolving the long-standing delay in benefits.

He alleged that the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate had frustrated efforts and withheld pensioners’ entitlements spanning 2000 to 2025, despite adequate government funding.

“Some of our members have died waiting, while others cannot afford basic healthcare. This situation is unjust and must be addressed immediately,” Dunmoye stressed.

He said the group had written at least seven letters to the directorate in Abuja, all ignored in spite of clear evidence of proper government funding since 2017.

According to him, even the Presidency was informed three times between 2021 and 2025, through both legal and direct correspondence, yet no response was received.

“The management prefers deceptive media campaigns, collaborating unlawfully with some officials and supposed union representatives, rather than paying our accrued entitlements,” Dunmoye alleged.

He demanded full arrears payment, regular remittance of pensions, and recognition of electricity workers’ sacrifices in nation-building, warning of intensified advocacy until justice prevailed.

Mr Julius Ayodeji, Coordinator II, said failure to pay entitlements had inflicted severe hardship on retirees’ families, describing it as painful abandonment after decades of service.

“We want government to know that pensioners matter too,” Ayodeji said, calling on the National Assembly, labour unions, and civil society to support their cause.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that pensioners displayed placards reading ‘Pay Our Arrears Now’ and ‘Justice for Pensioners,’ among other demands.

The briefing’s highpoint was a resolution to petition the Ministry of Finance and the Pension Commission (PenCom) for urgent intervention in the matter. (NAN)