The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Taraba State Council, has issued a warning that its members will relocate to the Government House if the long-promised ₦30,000 minimum wage is not implemented by the end of September 2025.
State Chairman of the union, Comrade El-Nathan Bila Auta, told journalists in Jalingo that pensioners would have no option but to besiege the seat of power to press home their demands.
“Although we pray it doesn’t come to that, if nothing happens by the end of this month, we will carry the good, the bad, and the ugly among us, including our most vulnerable and sick, and make the Government House our abode until justice is done. If the governor wants to chop us up, let him do that,” Bila declared.
He described the plight of pensioners in Taraba as “hopeless,” lamenting that for 33 years, successive administrations had neglected retirees while union leaders colluded with politicians to misuse pension funds.
The NUP chairman stressed that pensioners wield significant political influence.
“With over 40,000 households, each with at least 10 votes, pensioners hold the master card politically. If our issues are ignored, politicians will feel it in 2027,” he warned.
Bila further urged the state government not only to implement the ₦30,000 minimum wage this month but also prepare for the ₦70,000 minimum wage, already approved for civil servants by the Federal Government, from October.
He decried the situation where some pensioners still earn as little as ₦3,000 monthly after decades of service, describing it as a “national disgrace.”
