Pensioners Give FG 21 Days to Pay N150,000 Palliative, Threaten Protest

Federal Government pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme have issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government to pay their outstanding N150,000 palliative allowance or face a peaceful protest.

The retirees, under the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria, said the deadline, which commenced on August 21, expires on September 10, 2026.

The demand was contained in a letter addressed to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction and signed by the coalition’s National Chairman, Ogunbote Mukaila, and National Secretary, Gbadamosi Ganiyu.

The Federal Ministry of Finance, Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate (PTAD), Accountant-General of the Federation and other relevant government agencies were copied in the letter.

The pensioners are demanding N150,000, representing six months of the N25,000 monthly palliative approved by the Federal Government in 2023 to cushion the impact of the removal of petrol subsidy.

They argued that while workers had received the corresponding palliative and subsequent payments, pensioners were yet to receive the six-month balance.

“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 coalition said.

According to the retirees, the payment was necessitated by the severe economic hardship arising from government policies, which they said had particularly affected elderly citizens who depend on their pensions for survival.

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

The pensioners recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved N25,000 monthly for pensioners and N35,000 for workers as part of measures to mitigate the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

They urged the minister to honour the Federal Government’s commitment and ensure the outstanding allowance was paid before the expiration of the ultimatum.

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

The coalition also asked the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to work with PTAD, which keeps records of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, to facilitate the payment.

“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 pensioners said.

They attributed part of the delay to the crisis that engulfed the humanitarian affairs ministry under former Minister Betta Edu, who was suspended by President Tinubu in January 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety.

Edu’s suspension came shortly after 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 relating to funds handled by the ministry.

The retirees, however, maintained that the circumstances surrounding the previous administration of the ministry should no longer prevent the government from resolving the issue.

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

The pensioners warned that failure to meet their demand by September 10 would trigger a peaceful but loud protest.

“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 appealed to the minister to intervene before the deadline, stressing the vulnerability of retired Nigerians.

“We are old citizens and need finance to stay alive,” they said.

The dispute over the palliative dates back to 2023, when the Federal Government approved the N25,000 monthly payment for vulnerable pensioners as part of its response to the economic impact of petrol subsidy removal. The initial approval was for three months, but pensioners subsequently demanded that it be extended to six months.

The unpaid allowance has remained a recurring issue, with the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria threatening nationwide protests in 2025 over the palliative and pension increment arrears.

The House of Representatives also expressed concern in 2025 over the non-payment of the approved palliative and pension increment, warning that delays in settling the obligations were worsening the financial hardship faced by retirees.

The latest ultimatum comes as the government continues efforts to settle outstanding pension liabilities. In July 2026, the Federal Government announced the payment of N39.63bn to 24,814 Defined Benefit Scheme pensioners in settlement of various long-standing pension obligations.