APC demands Abia clears N70bn pension arrears, pays workers N70,000 minimum wage

The All Progressives Congress in Abia State has asked the state government to clear outstanding pension and gratuity arrears estimated at over N70 billion. The party also demanded full implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage for civil servants.

The demand came in a statement signed by the APC Abia State Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru. Pensioners in the state had raised concerns over unpaid gratuities and unmet pension obligations.

Retirees earning N4,000 a month

According to the APC, total pension and gratuity liabilities in the state, including obligations at local government level, exceed N70 billion. Yet some retirees are receiving monthly payments as low as N4,000. The party said this falls well short of the N32,000 threshold the state government itself had referenced for pension payments.

The APC said workers who devoted years to public service should not be left struggling to access benefits they had already earned. It called on the government to make settling these obligations a priority.

Wage shortfalls in state agencies

On wages, the party alleged that workers in several state agencies earn between N23,000 and N40,000 a month. Some ministries are paying below the federally approved N70,000 minimum wage. The APC attributed part of the strain on households to rising costs of food, housing and transportation.

The party urged the Abia government to enter into a formal agreement with organised labour on wage implementation. It also asked that pay for state workers reflect current economic conditions.

State has resources, party says

The APC acknowledged that Abia had recorded notable growth in monthly revenue. It argued that the state had sufficient resources to address both pension liabilities and wage shortfalls without sacrificing infrastructure development.

"Public resources must be made to serve the public," the party said. It called for a balance between capital spending and the welfare of civil servants and pensioners.

The statement also urged greater transparency in the management of public funds. It said available resources should be channelled towards clearing outstanding gratuity and pension payments without further delay.

Pension fund merger in the works

In a related development, two pension fund managers, Premium Pension and Trustfund Pensions, plan to merge into a single institution to be known as Premium Trustfund Pensions Limited. The merger would create the country's third-largest Pension Fund Administrator by assets.

The merger notification was published through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and remains subject to regulatory approvals. It will be implemented under Section 711 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020.

For Abia households, the APC's message ties wage shortfalls to the rising cost of food, housing and transportation, a strain familiar to many across Nigeria.