Lagos Pensioners Give Sanwo-Olu Seven-Day Ultimatum

Lagos pensioners have issued a seven-day ultimatum to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over outstanding pension entitlements, threatening a major protest if their demands remain unmet.

Members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme (NUPCPS) issued the ultimatum during a warning protest around Iyana Ipaja in Lagos on Monday. The deadline expires on August 31.

The retirees said they spent about 35 years working for the state and expressed frustration over delays in receiving payments they said they were owed. According to them, the situation has created serious financial difficulties for many pensioners.

The Lagos State Council chairman of NUPCPS, Comrade Michael Omisande, said the union had held several meetings with the state government in an effort to resolve the matter.

Omisande said the union submitted a proposal to the government in January 2026 outlining its position on pension enhancement. He said the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) later informed the union that approval had been given for an actuary to be appointed to support the process.

However, he said the expected implementation had not yet taken place.

“We earlier communicated a 19-day ultimatum to Mr Governor to credit the accounts of pensioners on the pension increases/wage award, but hitherto, nothing has been done,” he said.

Omisande warned that failure to meet the demand within the new seven-day period could trigger what the pensioners called the “mother of all protests.”

The Lagos State chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Olatunde Busari, also expressed support for the action. He said the protest was intended to draw attention to what he described as a prolonged delay in settling pensioners’ entitlements.

Busari said pensioners had continued to wait for the implementation of the payment despite funds being released to federal workers.

“Our listening President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has graciously released our own which we have been enjoying since, but it is disheartening to see Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, together with his cabinet members, and the Lagos State House of Assembly have been stylishly delayed the payment,” he said.

He alleged that the Lagos State Government was attempting to postpone implementation until the next administration. Busari said pensioners would continue to use lawful measures, including protests, to press for their entitlements.

The chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Defined Benefit Scheme (NUPDBS), Lagos State Council, Comrade Olufemi Olarewaju, also criticised the state government. He accused officials of repeatedly reviewing the list of beneficiaries submitted by the union.

Olarewaju said the delay had increased the financial pressure on retirees, with some reportedly struggling to pay for medicines and basic food.

“Our members are going through anguish pains, not able to afford medications or proper feeding, some are dying while waiting for payment of the entitlements which we worked for in 35 years active service,” Olarewaju said.

He warned that pensioners would begin a full-scale protest on August 31 if the government failed to address their concerns.

Led by Omisande, Olarewaju and other union officials, the protesters marched through parts of Iyana Ipaja while calling for urgent action to end the dispute.

The pensioners also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and encourage the Lagos State Government to address their grievances.

The Lagos pensioners’ ultimatum now places renewed pressure on the state government, with the August 31 deadline approaching and retirees warning that they are prepared to escalate their protest if no resolution emerges.

Do you think the Lagos State Government should prioritise resolving the pensioners’ demands before the August 31 deadline?