Lawyer, public affairs analyst and human rights activist, Maxwell Opara has urged lawmakers to pass a law making the delay or denial of pension payments a criminal offence.

He argued that retirees should not have to protest before receiving money they earned after decades of service.

Speaking in an interview, Opara said failure to pay pensions when due should attract criminal sanctions. He stressed that people who served the country for as long as 35 years are only asking for their own money, not a favour or a loan.

He also condemned the reported use of tear gas against protesting pensioners, describing it as a serious violation of their constitutional rights. Opara said peaceful and harmless protesters should not be met with force while exercising their right to demand what is due to them.

The lawyer offered to provide free legal services to affected pensioners and encouraged them to seek redress in court. He noted that other groups, including the Nigerian Bar Association and the Human Rights Commission, could also support such efforts.

Opara criticised repeated verification exercises and prolonged delays that make it harder for retirees to access their funds. He said if elected to the House of Representatives, he would push for a bill to criminalise delayed pension payments so that such problems can finally stop.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper