Electricity pensioners petition Tinubu over unpaid benefits
Retired workers in Nigeria’s electricity sector have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in what they describe as years of withheld pension benefits, unpaid arrears, and discriminatory treatment affecting
Retired workers in Nigeria’s electricity sector have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in what they describe as years of withheld pension benefits, unpaid arrears, and discriminatory treatment affecting pensioners of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Southwest zone of Electricity Sector Retirees Welfare Association accused the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission and the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate of frustrating the implementation of approved pension adjustments, worsening hardship among retirees.
Its Southwest Vice President, Adegbuyi Ganiyu, and Zonal Secretary, Oladigboye Gabriel, said the briefing was a “save our souls” appeal, citing repeated policy reversals and unfair treatment of electricity sector pensioners.
The group alleged that former NEPA and PHCN pensioners have been excluded from multiple pension increments and welfare packages granted to other federal retirees. These include adjustments of 10.6 per cent, 12.9 per cent, 20 per cent, and 28 per cent, as well as the N32,000 pension increase tied to the new N70,000 national minimum wage.
According to the group, a circular issued by the Salaries Commission on January 14, 2026, excluded electricity sector pensioners from these benefits, replacing them with a 13.8 per cent adjustment. The retirees argued that the commission lacked the legal authority to determine pension awards and accused it of acting outside its statutory mandate.
They further rejected the justification that electricity workers operated under a special salary structure, noting that the framework was created by the Federal Government to reflect the technical and hazardous nature of the sector and should not be used to deny retirees equal benefits.
The association also highlighted inconsistencies in pension payments, stating that previously approved increases had been partially implemented and later reversed. It said the Salaries Commission had directed PTAD to begin payment of arrears linked to a 12.9 per cent increase in January 2025, with 21 months paid and the remainder deferred.
Similarly, PTAD reportedly paid 24 months of arrears tied to a 10.6 per cent increase covering July 2021 to December 2025 before another directive allegedly reversed the payments on grounds of error. The retirees described the reversal as unlawful and accused the commission of undermining efforts to cushion economic hardship.
They added that electricity sector pensioners were excluded from other relief measures, including the N25,000 fuel subsidy palliative.
Meanwhile, PTAD recently announced the completion of payment of outstanding one-month arrears of the N32,000 pension increment to eligible pensioners under the defined benefit scheme. The agency said over N1.7 billion was disbursed to more than 54,000 pensioners across its departments.
Beyond pension increments, the retirees accused PTAD of delaying payments of inherited liabilities such as monetisation, harmonisation, electricity rebates, and staggered arrears. They also cited unresolved issues from a 2023 verification and recomputation exercise, which they said left some retirees unpaid or subjected to reduced pensions over alleged overpayments.
The group further alleged that PTAD had frustrated the deduction and remittance of union check-off dues to the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria.
As part of its demands, the association called for the immediate withdrawal of the January 2026 circular, payment of all outstanding arrears, full implementation of approved pension increases, and settlement of subsidy-related palliatives. It also demanded the removal of the Salaries Commission Chairman, Ekpo Nta, accusing him of overstaying his tenure and interfering in pension administration.
The retirees warned they could embark on nationwide protests if their demands were not met. “We have run out of patience as we die by the day,” the group said.
A former executive of the group, Timothy Akintola, attributed the dispute to what he described as a misunderstanding of the mandate of the Salaries Commission. He argued that the commission was established to regulate wages of serving workers, not to alter pension entitlements.
Akintola maintained that pension rights for retired electricity workers fall under defined benefit arrangements inherited from NEPA and PHCN and cannot be unilaterally changed. He added that pension increases had already been approved and captured in federal budgets, stressing that the issue remained one of implementation rather than renegotiation.
