Pensioners of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, have declared their readiness to join a nationwide naked protest slated for December 8 to demand the payment of long-overdue entitlements.
The National Financial Secretary of the FRCN pensioners, Bola Popoola, made this known in a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos.
It would be recalled that the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria announced a planned mass demonstration to press for the settlement of outstanding pension increment arrears and approved palliative allowances.
According to the coalition’s National Chairman, Mukaila Ogunbote, the protest has become inevitable due to the persistent delay in meeting the pensioners’ statutory financial obligations.
Popoola said FRCN retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme had been compelled to join the protest, describing it as a last resort to ensure their voices are heard.
He explained that the unresolved arrears arising from the N32,000 minimum pension had plunged many elderly retirees into severe hardship.
Popoola added that the government’s failure to implement the N25,000 palliative approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2023 had further worsened their economic struggles.
“Our decision to participate in the naked protest is driven by the government’s outright refusal to pay the N25,000 palliative for six months, even though it was approved since 2023,” he stated.
He also revealed that Nigerian pensioners in the diaspora were planning coordinated demonstrations in their host countries to draw international attention to the crisis.
Popoola expressed disappointment that individuals who dedicated their productive years to serving the nation were now being subjected to hardship and indignity.
“Pensioners are already in a vulnerable state. Forcing them into a situation where they have to beg to survive is unacceptable and must be urgently addressed,” he said.