FRCN Pensioners Stage Protest in Oyo Over Unpaid Benefits
Ibadan, Oyo State – A group of elderly pensioners of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, Oyo State on Tuesday, demanding the immediate payment of their outstanding benefits.
The visibly agitated pensioners, many of whom were frail and aged, converged at the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat in Iyaganku, Ibadan as early as 9:00 AM, carrying placards and chanting songs of lament and frustration.
The placards bore inscriptions such as “Pay Us Our Entitlements Now!”, “Our Pension is Our Right!”, “Years of Service, Now Neglect?”, and “Hunger is Killing Us, Pay Our Benefits!”.
The protesters, comprising retirees from various departments of the FRCN in Oyo State, lamented the non-payment of their gratuities, pension arrears, and other allowances, some dating back several years.
The chairman of the association, Sola Ogunmola, who led the protest and shared their frustrations, explained that while retirees from ministries are receiving their minimum wage, FRCN retirees are still waiting for theirs.
“We are here today to cry out to the world about the injustice being meted out to us,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
“Many of us have served FRCN diligently for 30, 35 years, even more. We dedicated our lives to this organization, and now in our old age, when we are supposed to be enjoying the fruits of our labor, we are being subjected to this hardship.”
Ogunmola also highlighted issues with pension arrears, saying, “Not all DBS pensioners got the eight months of arrears from the 20% pension increase that was approved in January 2024.
“The recent N32,000 addition to pensioners’ monthly dues based on the new minimum wage of N72,000, announced to take effect in July 2024, has not been implemented for FRCN retirees.”
The protesting pensioners expressed concern about the deteriorating health of many of their members due to the financial strain caused by the non-payment of their benefits.
They highlighted cases of colleagues who have been unable to afford essential medication and are living in abject poverty.
The pensioners called on the Director-General of FRCN, the Minister of Information and Culture, and the Federal Government to intervene urgently and ensure the prompt payment of their long-overdue entitlements.
They vowed to continue their protest and explore other avenues to seek redress until their demands are met.
As of the time of filing this report, no official statement has been released by the FRCN management regarding the protest.
However, the pensioners expressed hope that their demonstration would draw the necessary attention to their plight and bring about a swift resolution to their grievances.
Tolu Adebayo
Reporter/ Social Media Manager