Lagos State pensioners under the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme (NUPCPS) have issued a fresh seven-day ultimatum to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to pay their outstanding pension entitlements.

The retirees threaten to embark on a full-scale protest if their demand is not met.

The ultimatum, which expires on August 31, was issued during a warning protest held by the pensioners during the week.

The retirees, who said they served the state for about 35 years, expressed frustration over the delay in paying their entitlements, which they said had subjected many members to hardship.

The chairman of NUPCPS, Lagos State Council, Michael Omisande, said the union had held several meetings with the state government to resolve the issue without success.

Omisande said the union submitted a template to the state government in January 2026 outlining its proposal for implementing pension enhancement.

He said the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) later informed the union that it had approved engaging an actuary to facilitate the process. Still, the expected implementation had not taken place.

“We earlier communicated a 19-day ultimatum to Mr Governor to credit the accounts of pensioners on the pension increases/wage award, but hitherto, nothing has been done,” he said.

He warned that if the government fails to meet the demand within seven days, it could lead to what the pensioners described as the “mother of all protests.”

Also speaking, the Lagos State chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Olatunde Busari, said the protest aimed to draw public attention to what he described as the prolonged delay in paying pensioners’ entitlements.

Busari, who expressed solidarity with the Lagos branch of the union, said pensioners had been waiting for the payment to be implemented despite the release of funds to federal workers.

“Our listening President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has graciously released our own, which we have been enjoying since, but it is disheartening to see Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, together with his cabinet members, and the Lagos State House of Assembly have been stylishly delaying the payment,” he said.

He alleged that the state government was attempting to defer the implementation until the next administration, saying pensioners would continue to use lawful means, including protests, to demand their entitlements.

The chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Defined Benefit Scheme (NUPDBS), Lagos State Council, Olufemi Olarewaju, also accused the state government of repeatedly reviewing the list of beneficiaries submitted by the union.

He said the delay had worsened the economic hardship faced by retirees, with some allegedly struggling to afford medication and necessities.

“Our members are going through anguish pains, not able to afford medications or proper feeding; some are dying while waiting for payment of the entitlements which we worked for in 35 years of active service,” Olarewaju said.

He warned that the pensioners would commence a full-blown protest on August 31 if the state government failed to address their demands.

The protesters, led by Omisande, Olarewaju and other union officials, marched through parts of Iyana Ipaja, calling for urgent intervention to resolve the dispute.

The pensioners also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter and prevail on the Lagos State Government to address their grievances.