Members of the Association of New Ogun State Civil and Public Service Retirees, ANOCPSR, have urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to defer the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, in the state.

The appeal was by the association's leader, Mr. Omopariola Oluwole, during a protest at the Assembly Complex in Abeokuta.

Addressing the Speaker of the House, Mr. Oludaisi Elemide, Oluwole said the transition from the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme to the CPS had negatively affected many retirees.

According to him, "We were employed into the Ogun State Civil and Public Service under the clear understanding and assurance of a defined benefit pension scheme, which guaranteed monthly pension and gratuity upon retirement.

"The sudden transition to the CPS has exposed many of us to hardship. The benefits under the new scheme are grossly inadequate to meet basic needs. Imagine someone who earned above N450,000 while in service now receiving about N60,000 monthly. The situation has become distressing and life-threatening.

"Many of us can no longer afford daily meals, medical care, or prescribed drugs, while some cannot pay school fees for their children. These painful realities have led to the untimely deaths of some of our colleagues, and many of us now live in penury.

Oluwole appealed to the governor, through the House of Assembly, to defer the scheme's implementation and restore affected retirees to the previous pension arrangement.