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The Benue State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding the immediate clearance of long-standing pension arrears and gratuities or face a massive peaceful protest in Makurdi.
In a notification letter dated January 7, 2026, and addressed to Governor Hyacinth Alia, the union’s chairman, Michael Vembe, and secretary, Saater Bur, detailed the scale of the inherited liabilities: 96 months of arrears owed to local government pensioners and 42 months owed to state pensioners.
The letter, made public on Monday, stated that Governor Alia had earlier directed the payment of five months’ arrears to all pensioners. However, the union lamented that only state pensioners have so far received the funds, leaving their local government counterparts unpaid despite the directive.
“Our demands include the payment of pension arrears and gratuities inherited from past administrations, which comprise 96 months for local government pensioners and 42 months for state pensioners,” the letter read. “Out of the above-mentioned arrears, His Excellency directed that five months should be paid to all pensioners, but only state pensioners have so far been paid.”
The union further demanded the harmonisation of pensions in Benue State to align with the federal government’s directive on the minimum pension of ₦32,000, as stipulated by the Minimum Wage Act 2024 and a relevant circular from the national body of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners dated October 22, 2024.
They highlighted the stark disparity in pension payments, noting that while newly retired civil servants receive over ₦300,000 monthly, some retired permanent secretaries in the state are paid as little as ₦7,000, and others receive as low as ₦2,000 per month.
The letter warned that failure to meet the demands by January 21, 2026, would leave the union with no option but to mobilise pensioners from all 23 local government areas of the state for a two-day peaceful protest in Makurdi.
“In compliance with the resolution of the Benue State Council of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, it has become inevitable to state categorically that if, by January 21, 2026, our demands are not met, we shall have no option but to mobilise all pensioners across the 23 local government areas of the state to Makurdi for a two-day peaceful protest,” the union declared.
The development comes amid growing discontent among retirees in many Nigerian states over delayed pension payments, non-harmonisation, and the hardship caused by inadequate stipends in the face of rising living costs. Pensioners in Benue have repeatedly complained that the irregular and insufficient payments have plunged many into poverty and denied them access to basic healthcare and dignity in retirement.
As the deadline approaches, attention now turns to the state government’s response and whether negotiations or concrete payments will avert the planned demonstration. No official statement has been issued by the Benue State Government or the Office of the Governor on the ultimatum at the time of this report.
