By FLORENCE ONUEGBU

Pensioners of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) on Saturday, said they were set to join the naked protest scheduled for Dec. 8.

National Financial Secretary of the Pensioners, Bola Popoola, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Coalition of Federal Pensioners (CFP) of Nigeria had on Friday, hinted of its planned nationwide naked protest.

The coalition’s National Chairman, Mr. Mukaila Ogunbote, had said that the move is to press home their demand for payment of members’ outstanding pension increment arrears and palliative allowances.

On Saturday, Popoola said that FRCN pensioners within the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) and under the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria, were left with no other option, but to be part of the protest.

He said that joining the protest is to further assert payment of their accrued arrears from the N32,000 minimum pension.

“Our resolve to participate in the naked protest stems also from outright non-payment of the N25,000 palliative for six months, as approved since 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Such is not flying with our colleagues in diaspora, which is the reason they have vowed to put their own naked protest on the international stage, wherever they are domiciled on Monday, Dec. 8,” he said

According to him, pensioners are in vulnerable status as they had dedicated productive years of their lives to service of their fatherland.

He said that subjecting pensioners to a state of begging on the streets, is worrisome and called for urgent attention. (NAN)

• Mr. Mukaila Ogunbote, National Chairman of the Coalition of Federal Pensioners (CFP), recently said during a press conference that his members will protest naked if their demands are not met by the Federal Government