Ogun Retirees Protest, Demand Suspension of Contributory Pension Scheme Over 18 Years of Unremitted Deductions

Concerned retirees of the Ogun State Civil Service on Monday staged a peaceful protest at the Governor’s Office in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, calling on the state government to suspend the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which they described as a failed system that has brought them hardship instead of security.

Speaking on behalf of the group, retired civil servant Mr. Daniel Akanji said the CPS had fallen short of expectations because successive administrations failed to comply with its guidelines. He noted that retirees who left service between July and now had practically “retired into poverty.”

According to him, while 7.5% is deducted from workers and another 7.5% expected from the government, the state has failed to remit its own contribution for nearly 18 years, leaving retirees with meagre balances.

“Some of us have worked for 35 years and have nothing to show for it. Even those with the highest balances barely have N2 million in their accounts. How are we expected to survive on that for the rest of our lives?” he lamented.

Akanji said many retirees had become beggars and appealed to the government to either suspend the CPS for at least five years or scrap it entirely. He added that the scheme had been poorly implemented from inception, with past administrations shifting implementation timelines due to their failure to remit deductions.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of State Pensions, Mrs. Arinola Adetayo, assured the protesters that the government had begun resolving outstanding issues. She said the arrears of CPS deductions, along with returns on investment, would soon be credited into retirees’ Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA), noting that the necessary approvals had already been obtained.

Adetayo added that state palliatives were currently easing retirees’ burdens, and those who completed their documentation would start receiving their monthly pensions once the palliative window running from July to December ends.

During the protest, retirees held up placards with messages such as “CPS is killing, give us DBS” and “No to CPS, we deserve better treatment after 35 years.”