The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ogun State Council, has accused the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun of failing to remit workers’ contributory pension deductions for the past six years, adding to an already staggering backlog of 184 months of unpaid pension contributions.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Hameed Ademola-Benco, made the revelation during a live appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, where he disclosed that not a single month’s deduction has been remitted since Governor Abiodun assumed office.
“In the past six years of Governor Abiodun’s administration, no remittance has been made,” Benco stated bluntly.
He further disclosed that the present administration inherited a long history of non-compliance dating back 17 years, with former Governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun remitting only 25 and eight months respectively. “Governor Abiodun has now added six years of zero remittance to the record,” he lamented.
Organized labour, including the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), began an indefinite strike on Tuesday, July 16, 2025, in protest against the government’s failure to meet its obligations under the Contributory Pension Scheme which was introduced in 2008.
According to Benco, the government currently owes an estimated ₦82 billion in unremitted deductions. He added that despite continuous engagements, critical aspects of the pension law remain unimplemented, such as the establishment of a Pension Board, the setting up of regulatory structures, and the integration of workers’ past service years into the pension scheme.
“We have been interfacing with the present government to make them see reason why this bill cannot take off yet,” he said. “The pension board is yet to be inaugurated, the rules have not been mandated, and past service calculations have not been done.”
Although the Ogun State Pension Reform Law was amended in 2013 with an implementation date of July 1, 2025, Benco insisted that the legal and administrative foundations required for the scheme are still absent.
The strike action has also drawn attention to other long-standing issues affecting workers in the state. These include the non-payment of outstanding leave allowances, delayed promotion letters, and the incomplete implementation of the consequential salary adjustment.
Benco criticized the ₦42,000 salary increase granted by the government, describing it as merely a “salary award” and not a structured wage improvement. “The basic aspect, utility, and housing should be reflective with the ₦42,000 and that is what is being clamoured for,” he said.
He noted that the discussions leading to the increment were not handled by any formal committee, but rather negotiated directly by the organized labour without a documented agreement or timeline. “It was the organized labour that discussed and negotiated with the government,” he said.
When asked whether the union was open to further dialogue, Benco maintained that only Governor Abiodun could initiate meaningful engagement. “We are not employees of the Secretary to the State Government or any commissioner. We are employees of Governor Abiodun, and he is the only one we are ready to dialogue with,” he stated.
Despite the deadlock, the labour leader expressed optimism that the governor would eventually grant audience to the union. “We are very optimistic he is going to see us,” he said, noting that the governor may have been occupied with national assignments and the recent burial of the Awujale.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed solidarity with the striking workers. In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, the party described the strike as a legitimate and lawful response to government negligence, insisting that workers deserve accountability and justice.
