Pensioners of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) have announced that they will join the nationwide naked protest scheduled for 8 December, as agitation intensifies across the country over long-standing unpaid entitlements.
The decision was disclosed on Saturday by the National Financial Secretary of FRCN pensioners, Bola Popoola, in a statement issued in Lagos. Popoola said the group had been left with no choice but to join the controversial demonstration, organised by the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria, to demand payment of accumulated arrears and palliative allowances owed to retirees.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had earlier reported that the Coalition revealed its plans on Friday, stating that the unusual form of protest was aimed at drawing urgent government attention to the plight of retired federal workers. The coalition’s National Chairman, Mukaila Ogunbote, said pensioners had become frustrated after years of unfulfilled promises, especially regarding pension increment arrears and outstanding palliatives.
In his statement, Popoola said pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) and those aligned with the Coalition were united in their decision to take part in the protest.
“Our resolve to participate in the naked protest stems also from the outright non-payment of the N25,000 palliative for six months, as approved since 2023 by President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
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He explained that despite a presidential directive intended to cushion the impact of economic hardship on vulnerable retirees, the approved palliatives had yet to be implemented for many pensioners, leaving them in severe financial distress.
Popoola added that while pensioners within Nigeria struggle daily with unpaid arrears—including those tied to the N32,000 minimum pension—their counterparts in the diaspora are preparing to mirror the planned naked protest on international stages on Monday, 8 December. According to him, the coordinated action by pensioners abroad underscores the depth of anger and desperation felt across the community.
He stressed that pensioners, having dedicated their most productive years to national service, should not be reduced to poverty and public demonstrations before their legitimate entitlements are honoured.
“Subjecting pensioners to a state of begging on the streets is worrisome and calls for urgent attention,” he said, noting that many retirees now struggle to afford basic necessities, including medical care and food.
The planned demonstration has sparked national debate, with many Nigerians expressing sympathy for the pensioners’ situation while also raising concerns about the implications of such a dramatic form of protest. Labour unions and civil society groups have urged the Federal Government to intervene immediately to avert what they describe as an embarrassing and avoidable national crisis.
As the protest date approaches, expectations continue to mount that federal authorities will issue a response or initiate dialogue to address the pensioners’ grievances.
For now, however, the retirees remain resolute, insisting that only the payment of their outstanding entitlements will stop the scheduled nationwide demonstration.
