Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the withholding of pensions and gratuities of senior citizens, describing it as an act of wickedness.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, attributed the plight of many retirees to the greed and desperation for material wealth among political leaders, which he said had made life unbearable for vulnerable citizens.
His remarks followed what he called a “chilling encounter” with an elderly woman during his visit to Shanahan College of Nursing Sciences, Nsukka, Enugu State.

Narrating the encounter on his X handle, Obi expressed deep concern over the insensitivity of political and institutional leadership in Nigeria.
“I noticed this elderly woman struggling desperately to talk to me. People around tried to push her away, but I insisted on hearing her story,” Obi wrote.
“She introduced herself as a retired civil servant who dedicated her productive years to serving the nation but had not received her pension.
What was more heartbreaking was that she had been sick and hospitalized for over a week with mounting medical bills, yet her immediate concern was that she did not even have one naira to buy food.”
Obi said he was filled with anger and pity—anger at leaders who, out of greed, deny people their rightful earnings, and pity for the elderly woman and many others like her suffering in silence.
He criticized the government’s failure to prioritize pension payments, stating:
“I have said it before, and I still maintain, that any government that withholds the pensions and gratuities of our senior citizens in their vulnerable years is wicked.
As a governor, I inherited and cleared over N30 billion in pensions and gratuities because I understood the pain the elderly were going through.”
Obi added that he provided immediate assistance to the woman and promised to follow up on her case but stressed the need for systemic change to ensure retirees receive their rightful benefits.
“We must fix this nation. Nigeria must work for all, and everyone must get their due rewards for their productive contributions,” he stated, signing off with his campaign slogan: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
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