Pensioners in Taraba State say they are optimistic that the long-awaited ₦30,000 minimum wage adjustment will reflect in their pensions by the end of September 2025.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the state, Comrade El-Nathan Bila Auta, disclosed this to journalists in Jalingo, noting that key stakeholders had concluded discussions on the implementation.
According to him, assurances were given during talks between the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Peter Jediel, and the State Head of Service, Dr. Ahmed Kara, who confirmed that pensioners would soon begin to benefit from the wage review.
Bila lamented that since Taraba’s creation in 1991, no administration had extended minimum wage adjustments to retirees, leaving many pensioners struggling on stipends as low as ₦3,000 monthly, despite civil servants already enjoying ₦18,000, ₦30,000 and most recently, ₦70,000 minimum wages.
“I am highly confident that with recent developments, Governor Agbu Kefas is set to break the jinx. He will go down in history as the first Taraba governor to increase pensions, and his name will be written in gold in the hearts of more than 40,000 pensioners across the state,” Bila said.
He appealed to the governor to ensure arrears are paid from January 2025, and to fast-track the implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage for pensioners in line with what is being enjoyed by workers.
The NUP chairman further urged Governor Kefas to redeem his earlier promise of releasing ₦2 billion monthly to offset the ₦80 billion gratuity backlog, stressing that many retirees continue to die prematurely from poverty-related ailments and lack of proper care.
Bila also advised pensioners to remain calm and prayerful while awaiting the outcome, adding that any increase should be managed wisely to ease their long-standing hardship.
