Pensioners in Benue state, both from the state government and local governments, have received partial payments for several months under Governor Hyacinth Alia's administration. State pensioners have been paid for the months of May to August 2023, while local government pensioners received payments from June to August 2023. However, this mode of payment has left a significant backlog of arrears for both groups of pensioners. Local government pensioners have accumulated 77 months of arrears from successive governments, while state pensioners have 43 months of arrears.

Michael Vember, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), explained that the current administration decided to start with a clean slate and pay pensions from the specified months, promising to clear the backlog when funds become available. Vember expressed concern about the economic downturn in the country, particularly due to the removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu's administration. He highlighted the dire situation of pensioners, some of whom receive as little as N4,000 monthly as pension.

Initially, Governor Hyacinth Alia focused on paying state pensioners, excluding local government pensioners. However, after the NUP drew his attention to this issue, he started paying local government retirees as well. As of now, the governor has paid state pensioners for four months and local government pensioners for three months. However, he has created arrears by skipping certain periods. For example, local government pensioners' payments stopped in May 2018, but the governor started paying from June 2023, resulting in a backlog of arrears from May 2018 to May 2023.

Vember mentioned that the governor has promised to pay the arrears but has not taken any concrete steps to do so. The arrears have been calculated and are being kept for payment when funds become available. The economic situation for Benue pensioners is disheartening, especially since the removal of petrol subsidy. While the civil service minimum wage is N30,000, pensioners in Benue state receive a minimum of about N4,000. This significant disparity makes it challenging for retirees to cope with the economic realities. Vember emphasized that pensioners deserve better treatment after dedicating their best years to the country.

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