A group, Campaign for the Defence of Pensioners (CDP-Nigeria) has once again appealed to the Federal Government to urgently address the prolonged delay in settling retirement benefits owed to federal civil service retirees, describing the payments as a constitutional right and not a privilege.

In a statement issued on Thursday and jointly signed by the group’s Interim National Coordinator, Comrade Abubakar Tanimu Dorayi, and Interim Secretary General, Prince Oluyemi Abodurin, the organization reiterated its earlier demands, stressing that swift action is needed to alleviate the hardship faced by pensioners across the country.

SolaceBase reports that the group called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally intervene and direct key stakeholders—including the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM), the Minister of Finance, and the Accountant General of the Federation—to ensure the immediate payment of gratuities and pensions to all federal retirees without further delay.

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CDP-Nigeria also demanded the full implementation and payment of the outstanding pension increase and arrears announced by the Federal Government in December 2024.

In addition, the group urged lawmakers at the National Assembly to amend the constitution to abolish the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and repeal the Pensions Reform Act of 2014.

“It is only the implementation of these demands that will relieve retirees of their suffering, boost the morale of serving federal civil servants, and help curb corruption in the system,” the statement read.

The CDP-Nigeria, founded in January 2024, operates from its national headquarters in Abuja with the motto: Ensuring Pensioners’ Welfare.