Federal pensioners say they will protest naked if the federal government fails to pay their pension increments and palliative allowances on or before December 12.

The retirees, under the aegis of Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria, made the threat on Monday during a protest in Lagos.

The national chairman of the coalition, Mukaila Ogunbote, said that at the expiration of the deadline, the pensioners would embark on their naked protest on December 15.

He said the intervention of prominent Nigerians made the pensioners postpone their naked protest until December 15.

“I use this opportunity to appeal to whosoever, particularly to the prominent people who are calling me and whoever would listen to me, between now and Friday, to appeal to the federal gvernment, to appeal to President Bola Tinubu.

“They should appeal to Wale Edun, to appeal to the Accountant General of the Federation to pay all our N32,000 pension increment and N25,000 palliative arrears from now to Friday.

“Failure to pay this, next week, Monday, which is on the 15th, we are going out for naked protest, and nobody will stop us,” the chairman said.

He said that the delay in pension payments was negatively impacting their livelihoods, hence, the decision to protest to draw attention to their plight.

According to him, the pensioners are determined to fight for their rights, continue protesting, and no one will stop them until their demands are met.

The secretary of the coalition, Ganiyu Badamosi, said that the dire situation of the pensioners had forced them to beg on the streets.

Mr Badamosi called for immediate action to save the pensioners from further suffering and death arising from poverty.

Adetokunbo Ademiluyi, the treasurer, Federal Civil Service Pensioners, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Lagos chapter, urged the government to fulfil its obligation to pensioners by releasing their due payments.

Mrs Ademiluyi criticised government for treating pensioners unfairly and called for justice and respect for their rights.

(NAN)