Organised labour in Ogun State has called for the immediate suspension of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) due to the state government’s failure to remit over ₦82 billion in pension deductions.
At a press conference held on Wednesday in Abeokuta, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ogun State, Comrade Ademola Hameed-Benco, said the unions had unanimously rejected the full implementation of the scheme, citing inadequate preparations.
According to him, the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) jointly agreed to suspend the CPS until the necessary financial and administrative structures are in place.
“The Ogun State Government announced plans to fully implement the CPS from 1 July, but after extensive consultations with our affiliates, we have resolved to publicly reject it,” Hameed-Benco said.
He noted that the government’s inability to remit ₦82 billion deducted from workers’ salaries over the past 17 years raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability.
“Clearly, the Ogun State Government is unprepared to meet the obligations of the scheme,” he added.
He highlighted the absence of a State Bureau of Contributory Pensions and the lack of a comprehensive data register as significant gaps.
Hameed-Benco called for urgent dialogue with the government to resolve outstanding issues and ensure that workers’ retirement savings are secured.
