Pensioners in Niger appeal to Gov. Bago to resume payment of entitlements
Adelowo Oladipo, Minna
Retired civil servants at both state and local government levels in Niger State have appealed to Governor Muhammad Umaru Bago to urgently resume the payment of their outstanding retirement benefits.
The appeal was made on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, by the Chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Niger State Pensioners, Mr. Steven Daniel Zita, while addressing journalists after a meeting with pensioners at the U.K. Bello Art Theatre, Minna.
JAC, a coalition of five pensioners’ groups in the state, comprises the Association of Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries Forum, Directors’ Forum, Concerned Citizens Forum, Association of Local Government Retirees, and a Pressure Group.
Zita explained that the meeting was convened to brief pensioners on the circumstances surrounding the suspension of payment of their entitlements by the state government.
He recalled that Governor Bago had earlier promised to set aside N25 billion to clear the backlog of gratuities, noting that a first tranche of N10 billion was released, out of which N6.5 billion was paid to pensioners.
However, he lamented that since March 2024, payments had stopped without any official explanation.
According to him, several efforts had been made to draw the governor’s attention to the plight of pensioners, including engagements with traditional rulers across the state, prayers, and direct meetings with the governor, but without any positive response.
“We have decided to engage the traditional rulers zone by zone to help us intervene and speak to the governor.
We embarked on prayers and even met the governor personally, but there has been no response.
Shortly after the payment started, it stopped without explanation,” Zita said.
He expressed concern that many pensioners waiting for their entitlements had reportedly died due to prolonged hardship and high expectations.
“Pensioners are dying on a daily basis. Old age has its own problems. Knowing you have money somewhere and you cannot access it is very painful.
We are pleading with the governor to forgive us if anyone has offended him in any way,” he added
Despite the grievances, the JAC chairman commended Governor Bago for the timely and free enrolment of pensioners into the Niger State Contributory Health Care Agency (NICARE).
In separate remarks, some pensioners shared their personal challenges. Mrs. Mary Damisa, a pensioner and mother of eight, said her monthly pension was insufficient to cater for her family and urged the governor to resume gratuity payments without further delay.
Another pensioner, Elder Bayo, a retired director, said he initially believed the governor’s pronouncement on the release of N25 billion to settle pensioners’ entitlements but was disappointed when payments stopped midway.
“I have lost confidence in politicians. When they need you, they look for you, but once they are done with you, they forget you,” he said.
The pensioners called on the state government to urgently address their concerns to alleviate their suffering.