Retirees under the Federal Government’s pension scheme have given the government 21 days to pay their outstanding N150,000 palliative allowance, threatening a peaceful protest if the payment is not made by September 10, 2026.

The pensioners, under the aegis of the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria, made the demand in a letter dated August 21, 2026, and addressed to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

The letter, signed by the coalition’s National Chairman, Ogunbote Mukaila, and National Secretary, Gbadamosi Ganiyu, said the ultimatum took effect from Friday, August 21, and would expire on September 10.

The pensioners copied the Federal Ministry of Finance, PTAD, the Accountant-General of the Federation and other relevant authorities in the letter.

The pensioners said they were demanding payment of the N150,000, representing six months of the N25,000 monthly palliative approved by the Federal Government for them in 2023.

“We, the Nigerian pensioners, agreed to embark on a protest for the government’s refusal to pay our palliative, which all workers had received and also received additional palliative the Federal Government first paid. The workers asked for more, and they are paid,” the letter stated.

According to the retirees, President Bola Tinubu approved N25,000 monthly for pensioners and N35,000 monthly for workers as part of measures to cushion the effect of the economic hardship following the removal of the fuel subsidy.

“We will be joyful if the minister can honour this pronouncement made by the Federal Government since 2023,” they said.

The pensioners added that while the workers had already received their six-month payment, they were seeking the equivalent N150,000 owed to retirees.

“The workers had already been paid beyond the six months of this palliative we are asking for. We are expecting one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000), which is for six months,” the letter stated.

The retirees said the payment was particularly important because of the impact of the government’s economic policies on their livelihoods.

“This payment is as a result of the biting effect of the harsh economic policies introduced by the government,” they said.

The pensioners also appealed to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to release the funds, alleging that the ministry had previously been authorised to make the payment.

“The Ministry of Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation was authorised to pay when the fund was released to the ministry,” the pensioners stated.

They also referred to the suspension of the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, in January 2024, following allegations of financial impropriety involving the ministry.

“The minister, Mrs Betta Edu, was accused of mismanaging funds, which caused the delay in payment. She was suspended by the President since March 2024,” the pensioners said.

Edu was suspended by the President in January 2024, after the Presidency said the decision followed the suspension of the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission subsequently investigated allegations surrounding funds handled by the ministry.

The pensioners, however, said the current administration could still resolve the matter by directing the relevant agencies to pay the outstanding allowance.

“We are using this opportunity to plead with your ministry to pay the money,” they said.

They further urged the ministry to liaise with the Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate, which maintains records of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.

“Please release the money to the Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate (PTAD), who have the record of all the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) pensioners. The ministry can contact them for our records,” the letter stated.

The pensioners said they had exhausted their patience over the unpaid allowance and were now prepared to take action if the government failed to respond.

“The pensioners now agreed on a 21-day ultimatum for the payment of the palliative. Any refusal after these 21 days, we will embark on peaceful but loud protest,” they warned.

They specifically appealed to the minister to ensure that the payment was made before the expiration of the deadline.

“We are using this opportunity to appeal to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to please ensure that our palliative is promptly paid on or before the 10th of September 2026,” they said.

The retirees also highlighted their vulnerability, saying, “We are old citizens and need finance to stay alive.”

The latest ultimatum comes amid a prolonged dispute over the N25,000 palliative.

In 2023, the Federal Government approved the N25,000 monthly payment for vulnerable pensioners as part of measures to cushion the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy.

The payment was initially approved for three months, while pensioners subsequently demanded that it be extended to six months.

The issue remained unresolved, with pensioners repeatedly demanding payment.

In 2025, the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria threatened nationwide protests over the unpaid N25,000 palliative and pension increment arrears.

The House of Representatives also raised concerns in 2025 over the non-payment of the approved pension palliative and pension increment, noting that withholding such benefits was worsening the financial difficulties faced by retirees.

The latest demand also comes against the background of recent efforts by the Federal Government to clear outstanding pension liabilities.

In July 2026, the government announced the payment of N39.63bn to 24,814 DBS pensioners to settle various long-standing pension obligations.

Source: punchng.com

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