By Paul Joseph
Retired workers under the Nigerian Ports Authority Pensioners and Welfare Association (NPAPWA) on Monday staged a protest at the headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Marina, Lagos, over the prolonged delay in the review of their pensions under the new pension scheme.
The elderly protesters, many visibly emotional, stormed the NPA head office carrying placards with several messages highlighting their frustrations and economic hardship.
Some of the inscriptions read: “Nigerian Ports Authority is owing its pensioners 16 years’ constitutional benefits,” “President Bola Tinubu, save our souls. NPA pensioners are dying daily,” and “My pension is N30,000 per month, save my soul.”
The demonstration drew attention as some retirees broke down in tears during the protest, including a 69-year-old woman who was seen crying while pleading for government intervention.
Other placards directly targeted the NPA management, with messages such as “Dantsoho!! Allah Ya Yisha NPA,” loosely translated as “God will judge you.”
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, President of NPAPWA, Charles Binitie, said the association initially shelved plans for the protest after receiving assurances that efforts were underway to resolve the pension crisis.
According to him, the pensioners decided to resume the protest because the management had failed to openly engage them despite repeated promises.
“We suspended the protest because we received information that something was being done. But we believe there must be dialogue. You cannot claim to be working on our behalf in silence,” Binitie said.
He accused the authority of neglecting pensioners for over 16 years despite multiple salary increases and welfare improvements for active workers within the agency.
Binitie alleged that while serving staff enjoyed upward salary reviews over the years, pensioners under the scheme were left behind without corresponding adjustments to their monthly benefits.
“We are witnessing 16 years of constitutional denial of our rights. Sixteen years ago, they reviewed their own salaries and refused to adjust those of pensioners, creating a huge gap,” he stated.
The union leader lamented that some retirees still survive on monthly pensions as low as N30,000 despite rising inflation and worsening economic conditions across the country.
“When the new pension Act came into effect, they improved benefits for serving staff but ignored pensioners completely. Since then, there has been no increment or review,” he added.
The association also threatened to escalate the protest nationwide if the issue remains unresolved before mid-June.
Binitie warned that the next phase of demonstrations could involve pensioners from other port cities, including Warri, Calabar and Port Harcourt.
“Our protest is nationwide. The next action will be larger and more aggressive if our demands are not met,” he warned.
Several retirees who spoke during the protest narrated painful experiences of hardship, illness and homelessness since leaving service.
One of the pensioners, James Igwe, who reportedly joined the NPA in 1977, said many retirees could no longer afford medical care, rent or education for their children.
“I am still receiving N30,000 monthly. Many of us are sick, paralysed and homeless. Some pensioners now sleep in churches because they cannot pay rent. Families are breaking apart because of poverty,” he lamented.
Another retiree, identified simply as Otaro, said life had become unbearable since his retirement in 2006 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Sometimes I go three days without food. How do I train my children in this condition?” he asked emotionally.
The protest adds to growing concerns over pension welfare and the treatment of retired public servants amid Nigeria’s current economic challenges.
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