NPA Pensioners Threaten Nationwide Port Shutdown Over 16 Years of Unpaid Benefits
Retirees of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have threatened to stage a nationwide protest over more than 16 years of unpaid pension benefits.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the pensioners, under the umbrella of the Nigerian Ports Authority Pensioners Welfare Association, said the protest would begin seven days after the publication of the notice if their demands are not met.
The association, led by its president, Charles Ayo Binitie, said the protest could include shutting down seaports across the country.
Binitie said the action was prompted by the failure of NPA management to implement the constitutionally approved five-year pension increment, which he said has not been applied since 2008.
He lamented that many retirees are living in poverty and struggling to afford healthcare.
“It is sad and regrettable to say the least that, amid the current high inflation rate and economic downturn in Nigeria, only a few NPA retirees receive up to N100,000, while more than 50 percent earn between N50,000 and as low as N30,000 monthly,” he said.
“Despite the fact that the NPA remains a first-grade parastatal like the NNPC, its retirees are paid peanuts, and their so-called pay rise falls short of the constitutional provision in Section 173(3).
“The law states that all pensioners are entitled to a pay rise every five years and whenever there is an increase for workers in active service. However, management only adds whatever amount it chooses, which mostly ranges between 3 and 11.5 percent.”
According to Binitie, the NPA management has failed to implement the policy despite repeated efforts by the pensioners’ union.
He said the association had written to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Presidency through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), but no action has been taken.
Binitie also dismissed claims that the association is factionalised, noting that previous disputes had been resolved through court rulings.
“The NPA is yet to furnish the Wages Commission with its documents for over 15 years, so that the necessary upward review can be carried out,” he said.
“In one of the judgments of the Lagos High Court in Ikeja, the judge directed the Board of Trustees to hold an AGM for all pensioners and thereafter conduct an election, which led to my emergence as the incumbent president of the association.”
He added that a five-year legal dispute over alleged impersonation ended in his favour, with an Apapa Magistrate Court in September 2025 affirming him as the authentic president of the association.
Binitie said the association now speaks with one voice, adding that the condition of pensioners has become unbearable.
He called on the Presidency and relevant authorities to compel the NPA to pay all outstanding benefits, including increments tied to the 2024 minimum wage.