The Nigeria Union of Pensioners has warned that its members are prepared to protest in the streets without clothing if there is no significant improvement in the welfare of pensioners in the country in the near future.
The National President of the union, Godwin Abumusi, told journalists at a news briefing in Abuja on Friday that his union will take the action to draw the attention of the world to the plight of pensioners.
“I am going to lead Nigerian pensioners naked,” he said. “I mean, when we are going to protest, we are going to go naked on the street, so that the world will see the pensioners in Nigeria are demonstrating naked.
“If they like, they will arrest us and say, ‘Why did you go naked on the streets?
Delays in the payments of pensions are commonplace in Nigeria and protests by pensioners happen every now and then. For Mr Abumusi, the plight of pensioners is hard to comprehend.
“In Nigeria, governments don’t think about the poor people. They only think about themselves. Otherwise, how can a pensioner in Enugu receive as low as N450. How can this be?, he lamented.
A revision of the national minimum pension is being called for by pensioners, as the cost of living keeps rising and organized unions are pressing for a new minimum wage for workers.
Regarding what it would take for retirees to survive in the current economic climate, Mr. Abumusi was unambiguous.