Police officers in Lagos State on Monday fired teargas at pensioners who gathered at the Lagos House in Ikeja to protest unpaid pension increases, wage awards and other outstanding benefits. According to Vanguard newspaper, the retirees, drawn from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), had gone to the government premises to press the Lagos State Government to implement the increases and settle the arrears they said had accumulated.
The situation became tense after police officers deployed teargas, sending some of the protesters away from the premises. The action came on the date the retirees had earlier set as a deadline for the government to address their grievances. The pensioners had warned that they would stage a larger demonstration on 31 August if the state failed to act, particularly on the pension enhancement and wage award.
The Lagos State Government and the police had not issued a statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
The winners: none. The losers: the pensioners, who were dispersed with teargas; and the Lagos State Government, which faces criticism for its handling of the protest.
Bottom Line: Police have teargassed pensioners protesting unpaid arrears. The government is under pressure. The question is whether the government will address the pensioners’ grievances or the protests will continue.