Edo retirees protest against Contributory Pension Scheme, demand return to old system

Hundreds of retirees of the Edo State Civil Service have protested their continued enrolment in the Contributory Pension Scheme, describing it as retrogressive rather than progressive.

DAILY POST reports that the protesters, who stormed the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, demanded a return to the Defined Benefit Scheme.

The spokesperson of the protesters, Mr Andrew Asemota, said they were employed when Edo State was still part of the old Bendel State and questioned why they should be included in the Contributory Pension Scheme.

According to him, the retirees are going through excruciating pains and had come to the Assembly to seek its intervention.

“We are retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, in Edo State. We came here to register our grievances, the excruciating pains we are going through.

“It was Governor Obaseki that pushed us into this Contributory Pension Scheme. We were employed when the state was Bendel State. And we never signed any contracts that in the middle of the game we will be pushed to this Contributory Pension Scheme.

“As we speak, we are passing through excruciating pains. We came here that the House of Assembly should help us to see that we are moved away from CPS to the Defined Benefit Scheme, which is the old scheme.

“Some time ago, we wrote a letter to the Majority Leader, seeking an audience that he would address us. But up to now, nothing came out of it. So, we just came here today to appeal to the House of Assembly to help us see that we are moved from CPS to DBS,” he said.

Asemota, who said he worked at the State House of Assembly as a protocol officer in the Office of the Speaker, retired at Grade Level 16.

He said despite retiring at Grade Level 16, he receives N43,000 monthly as pension, while some of the retirees receive between N7,000 and N10,000.

“Most of us were at the twilight of our career when the government of Governor Godwin Obaseki came on board and enacted this controversial Contributory Pension Scheme.

“Mr. Speaker, I know you are aware that even the police force is actually fighting to get themselves exempted from this Contributory Pension Scheme.

“No law is supposed to be retroactive. A law cannot be enacted today and said it should take effect from about five years back. So, most of us are already put in between 28, 29 and 30 years, as the case may be, before this scheme came on board.

“There are some that were paid N1.5 million for 35 years, both monthly and pension,” he added.

He appealed to the Speaker to prevail on Governor Monday Okpebholo to remove them from the Contributory Pension Scheme and return them to the Defined Benefit Scheme.

“Our governor is a listening governor. There’s no doubt about that. He said when he came on board that he was coming to right the wrongs of the past government. And that’s what he actually has been doing.

“If you look at the case of Ekiadolor, at the land at Oko-Oroma, he has actually done all that. But this one that actually now affects us is the one that is remaining.

“So, we want to appeal to him, through you, that he should kindly allow us to draw from his milk of kindness. So, that is why we are here this morning.

“To appeal to you, so that this Contributory Pension Scheme should be repealed completely in the next stage,” he stated.

Responding, the Speaker of the House, Yekini Idaiye, commended the retirees for the peaceful protest.

Idaiye assured them that their petition would be looked into and that their message would be channelled to the governor for necessary action.