Striking workers in Ogun State have vowed to continue their indefinite industrial action until Governor Dapo Abiodun personally engages with labour leaders to address the N82 billion in unremitted contributory pension deductions owed over 14 years.
The workers, under the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), made this known on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta.
The strike, which began earlier that day, follows years of unmet demands, including the non-payment of pension deductions, leave allowances, and other accrued benefits running into several billions of naira.
NLC State Chairman, Comrade Hameed Ademola-Benco, flanked by TUC Chairman, Comrade Akeem Lasisi, and other labour leaders, declared that no amount of threats or pressure would make the unions back down unless the governor grants them a direct audience.“We have been receiving calls from a particular government official, but I told my colleagues we will not meet with him. He is our major problem,” Ademola-Benco said. “We are not employees of the Secretary to the State Government, Head of Service, or any commissioner. We are employees of Governor Abiodun. He is the one we want to meet, no one else.”
The union leaders emphasized that past meetings with government representatives yielded no tangible outcomes, adding that the issue at stake is critical to their welfare and future.
According to Ademola-Benco, the 2013 amended Ogun State Pension Law had pegged the full implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for July 1, 2025. However, despite over 14 years of deducting 7.5% of workers’ monthly salaries—with a matching 7.5% expected from the government—the state has allegedly failed to remit these funds to Pension Fund Administrators as stipulated by law.
He also raised concerns about disparities in pension payouts. “A retiree on the old pension scheme may receive over N300,000 monthly, while someone on CPS from the same cadre may earn just N60,000. This is unacceptable,” he said.
TUC Chairman, Comrade Lasisi, blamed successive administrations for neglecting the pension scheme. He noted that the scheme, introduced in 2008 during Governor Gbenga Daniel’s administration, was poorly implemented from inception. According to him, Daniel defaulted on several remittances, and only nine months of contributions were made throughout Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s eight-year tenure. Governor Abiodun, he said, has made no payments in six years“The government has set up multiple committees on CPS implementation but ignored their recommendations. Our future is being destroyed, and we will not accept mere talk,” Lasisi added.
Labour leaders insisted that only a concrete agreement directly with the governor could resolve the crisis and urged him to break his silence on the issue.
They also warned workers and the public to disregard any statements from government officials claiming progress had been made, reiterating that the strike would persist until their demands are formally addressed by the state’s chief executive.
