On Tuesday, June 26, 2018, in Ibadan, the Oyo State High Court corridors were filled not with lawyers in crisp suits, but with weary and worried pensioners clutching faded documents. Their faces told stories of decades of service in classrooms and council offices, now overshadowed by years of waiting.
It was the hearing of a suit filed by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State Council, against the then governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and five other top officials of the state. The union had dragged the government before the High Court over ₦42.3 billion unpaid gratuities and pensions for retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners.
The figure was staggering, but for the retirees, it was beyond mere numbers; it was meals they couldn’t afford, the medication they couldn’t access, the responsibilities they couldn’t meet, and the dignity they had lost.
The union’s counsel, Lasun Sanusi (SAN), painted a grim picture of the pensioners’ plight before Justice Maruf Adegbola. He said: “Primary school teachers and local government pensioners are dying almost daily because they cannot afford medications for their health challenges.” The courtroom fell silent, the words echoing the desperation of thousands of senior citizens.
Outside, the pensioners gathered in clusters, some leaning on walking sticks, others supported by their children. They spoke of promises broken, of agreements to pay arrears in instalments that never materialised. Representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress stood with them, amplifying their cries for justice.
Speaking at a press conference, the then state chairman of the union, Comrade Gbadegesin Akande, said the decision to institute a suit against the governor and others was a consequence of the roguish disposition of the government towards pensioners’ welfare, which resulted in the hoary heads, who had invested their youthful years in the service of the state, being subjected to agonising hardship and excruciating denigration.
He explained that their recourse to the courts became a Hobson’s choice following the failure of the government to attend to the series of letters that had been written, endless pleas that had been made, and even countless protests that the union had embarked upon to get the government to address its plight.
But despite their resort to litigation, not much changed for the pensioners; pensions were still owed and gratuities were still unpaid.
At another press conference jointly addressed by the Secretary of the NUP, Comrade Segun Abatan, and the Secretary of the Association of Retired Primary School Teachers, Comrade Tunji Ogunwale, on May 4, 2019, the duo lamented the plight of pensioners and accused the outgoing administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of owing ₦62.5 billion in pensions and gratuities.
Speaking at the press conference, Comrade Ogunwale said:
“Today, Oyo State Government is owing us ₦62.5 billion. That is the amount of gratuities left unpaid. I am personally being owed 35 months pension arrears. They are owing some of us 60 months, some 55 and some 40 months. It varies from eight to 60 months. He (Governor Ajimobi) has never paid anybody any gratuity in the last eight years. If we had not gone to court, that means he would not have deemed it fit to pay a dime for eight years.”
So, for pensioners in Oyo State, up to May 2019, life was rough, tough and torturous. It was marked by hardship, uncertainty and indignity.
Many retirees who had served the state faithfully for decades suddenly found themselves struggling to survive, as their pensions and gratuities were either delayed or paid in fractions. The government owed billions in arrears, and the elderly were left to bear the brunt of financial neglect.
Their plight became a recurring headline, with protests and court actions reflecting the depth of their suffering.
For many of these senior citizens already in the twilight of their lives, with children already grown and independent, there was no steady support system. Feeding became a major challenge, while getting money to buy the needed medication for their ailments became a nightmare.
Many retirees sold property to survive, and some even died while waiting for what was rightfully theirs. The situation robbed many of them of the dignity and honour of old age. They were forced into begging or, for those who could muster enough strength, taking up menial jobs as security guards or gatemen.
But when Comrades Abatan and Ogunwale held the press conference in May 2019, little did they realise how close the pensioners were to the change they had always wanted.
On May 29, 2019, while being inaugurated as Governor of Oyo State for his first term at the iconic Liberty Stadium, Engineer Seyi Makinde made a promise that pensions would no longer be delayed or paid in percentages in the state.
He also donated his entire salary as governor to pension payments and pledged to clear the backlog of unpaid gratuities.
That marked the beginning of the end of the woes that retired civil servants had endured for years.
Governor Makinde kept his promise and immediately began implementation.
While full pensions were paid alongside workers’ salaries, the governor in 2019 approved the release of ₦500 million monthly for gratuity payments.
This was later increased to ₦1 billion monthly in 2024, ₦1.5 billion in 2025, and eventually ₦3 billion monthly in January 2026.
To date, over ₦25 billion in gratuity backlog has been cleared, with almost 5,000 retirees benefiting.
Makinde did not stop there.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the governor approved the free enrolment of pensioners into the State Health Insurance Scheme, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to accessible and affordable healthcare for senior citizens.
The governor also raised the minimum pension in the state to ₦25,000.
In addition, Governor Makinde approved that all pension increases since 2007, including the 33 per cent pension increase of 2010 and the consequential adjustment of 2019, be factored into the pensions of affected retirees.
With that, Oyo State pensioners became the highest paid in the country.
The consistency in pension payment and commitment to outstanding gratuity defrayment have transformed the lives of many pensioners.
For many retirees, the moment they received their gratuity was life-changing.
Mrs Modupe Akinola, a retired teacher, said: “The day I got my gratuity, I cried. It was like a burden lifted off my shoulders. I could finally repair my leaking roof.”
Equally transformative was the prompt payment of monthly pensions.
Unlike the pre-Makinde era, retirees no longer have to wait for months to receive fractions of their pensions. Salaries and pensions are now paid side by side, restoring confidence and stability.
“I can now buy my drugs without borrowing,” said Mr Adewale Oladipo, a retired civil servant. “Before, I used to skip medication because I couldn’t afford it. That nearly killed me.”
To express their gratitude to Governor Seyi Makinde for his commitment to their welfare, members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Oyo State Council, organised an appreciation rally in front of the Governor’s Office at the Oyo State Government Secretariat in 2025.
Speaking at the rally, the Secretary of the union, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, said:
“Sixteen years before you took over the mantle of government in Oyo State, pensioners had no government that was sympathetic and empathetic to their plight. Gratuities were not paid as and when due, pensions were withheld or paid in instalments, and all entreaties to successive governments fell on deaf ears, resulting in massive deaths of our members.
“At one point, Oyo State pensioners were referred to as dead people and, in actual fact, we were dying like fowls afflicted by Newcastle disease. When you contested for your first term, we just wanted anybody who would liberate us from the shackles of death, and we voted en masse for you. We did the same when you sought a second term.
“You have not disappointed us. Our pensions became regular, and you started paying our gratuities that were criminally withheld for a whole eight years.”
The ripple effects of the regular payment of pensions and gratuities have spread across the state.
Pensioners are now supporting their families, paying school fees for grandchildren and contributing to community life. Markets across the state have seen pensioners return as active buyers, injecting funds into local economies.
The protests that once filled the streets of Ibadan have petered out.
Pensioners no longer need placards to demand justice; they now receive it quietly through bank alerts.
Clearing the backlog has also had a profound psychological impact.
Retirees speak of sleeping better, reduced anxiety and feeling valued again.
“We no longer feel abandoned,” said Mrs Akinola. “We feel like citizens whose service is appreciated.”
Transparency is another hallmark of Makinde’s pension reform.
Pensioners can track payments with confidence, knowing the system is no longer shrouded in secrecy.
Families that were fractured by financial strain have begun to heal, as pensioners have reclaimed their role as providers and respected elders.
Today, as a result of Governor Makinde’s pension reforms, the average Oyo State pensioner lives a transformed life.
From despair to dignity, from neglect to recognition, Governor Makinde’s intervention has rewritten the story of retirement in Oyo State.
Pensioners now live with peace of mind, their golden years restored to what they should be: a time of rest, respect and pride.
In Ibadan, where pensioners once gathered in protest, the atmosphere today is strikingly different.
Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration has transformed the pension landscape in Oyo State, turning years of neglect into a story of relief, dignity and hope.
His reforms are not just about numbers; they are about human lives restored. They are about honouring the social contract. They are about giving senior citizens their due.
Dr Olanrewaju is the Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor of Oyo State.