Ayobamiji Komolafe 
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over reports that Nigerian pensioners are contemplating a nationwide protest over unpaid arrears, describing the situation as “unjust and unacceptable.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Obi faulted the Federal Government’s failure to prioritize pension payments despite recently announcing that Nigeria had met its revenue target.
“Just last month, Mr. President announced that Nigeria had reached its revenue target. If that is true, then the moral question is simple: why are our senior citizens, who worked, served, and sacrificed, still owed their rightful pensions and gratuities?” Obi queried.
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He stressed that the growth in government revenue should translate into tangible relief for citizens, particularly retirees who had given the most productive years of their lives to national service.
“Revenue growth should first reflect in the lives of the people, especially those in difficult times. The excess revenue we celebrate today must not remain on paper. It must be directed to settle our obligations to pensioners, to restore their dignity, and to assure the working population that Nigeria values their labour and service,” he added.
Obi emphasized that good governance must be anchored on compassion, insisting that “Good leadership and compassion are inseparable.”
He urged the Federal Government to immediately clear outstanding pension arrears, warning that anything short of this would amount to betrayal of trust and neglect of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.
