A former director with the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Malam Ibrahim Babagana, has canvassed the need to accommodate retirees in the organised labour’s demand for a new minimum wage.
Babagana made the call in Abuja on Wednesday following organised labour’s demand for a living/minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
He said the increase would enable the retirees to face the present economic challenges in the country.
Babagana said “the reality on the ground is that things are no longer the same; I retired in 2019 and the stipend I was getting then is the same I am still getting in 2024.
“The level of inflation has deepened over the years and the purchasing power of the average Nigerian has waned over the years.
“In real terms, there is a need to improve the stipends retirees are getting because they have worked for the country before they retired.’’
According to him, there should also be a retirement fund for retirees to access, to enable them establish Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
“This solution should not be left for the government alone; it is a stakeholder thing; it will help but how do you start the process?
“As a public servant, the environment itself has psychologically prepared someone, that in the next couple of years he or she will exit; it has to also be clear that a retiree cannot completely rely on the government.”
