Police officers have reportedly fired teargas at pensioners protesting at the Lagos House in Ikeja over unpaid pension increases, wage awards and other outstanding benefits.
The protesters, comprising members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, gathered at the government premises on Monday to demand action from the Lagos State Government.
The pensioners called for the implementation of approved pension increases and wage awards, as well as the payment of outstanding pension arrears and other entitlements they said had remained unpaid.
The demonstration was disrupted after police officers reportedly fired teargas at the retirees, forcing some of them to flee the premises.
The action reportedly heightened tension at the scene, with the pensioners expressing dissatisfaction over the use of force against them while they were seeking payment of their entitlements.
The retirees maintained that their protest was focused on the implementation of pension-related increases, payment of accumulated arrears and other benefits owed to them by the state government.
The protest came after the pensioners had issued an August 31 deadline to the Lagos State Government to address their demands, particularly the outstanding pension enhancement and wage award.
The retirees had warned that they would take further action if the government failed to meet the deadline.
Their latest demonstration was aimed at drawing attention to what they described as prolonged delays in the payment of their entitlements and pressing the state government to resolve the issues affecting their welfare.
The pensioners have repeatedly argued that delays in receiving their benefits have placed many retirees under financial pressure, particularly amid rising living costs.
Monday’s protest at Lagos House, however, ended in disruption after the reported deployment of teargas by the police.
