‎In a poignant video circulating on social media, an elderly pensioner from Adamawa State has shared his decades-long struggle, revealing that he has been living on a fixed monthly pension of just N4,000 since retiring in 1997.

The retiree made a direct and heartfelt appeal to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, urging the state government to review and increase the minimum pension to reflect current economic realities.

‎The video which is in circulation captures the pensioner narrating his ordeal amid Nigeria’s persistent inflationary pressures, where the value of the naira has drastically eroded over nearly three decades.

What was once a modest sum in 1997 now struggles to cover even basic necessities like food, healthcare, and shelter for many retirees.

‎“My name is Mislong Kabuwa. I retired in 1997 from the water board in Numan, and I’ve been collecting 4,000 naira as pension since then.

‎“I’m pleading with Gov. Fintiri, who has done great things in the state, to please look into this matter with urgency because I’m suffering. People that I’m hoping will help me have died, and life has become unbearable, surviving on 4,000 naira,” he said.

‎This individual story echoes broader grievances from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Adamawa State.

For over 23 years, the minimum monthly pension has remained stuck at N4,000 for the lowest-paid retirees. Union leaders, including Chairman Comrade Mohammed Sali, have repeatedly pleaded with the government to raise it to at least N40,000—or even higher—to alleviate the suffering of senior citizens who served the state.

‎“Many of our members, especially the least paid, have languished for too long on this amount,” pensioners have said in past appeals.

They argue that the current figure is “grossly not in tune with changing times,” especially as the cost of living has skyrocketed, with basic commodities like a bag of maize now far exceeding what the pension can afford.

‎Governor Fintiri’s administration has made notable efforts to address pension-related challenges, particularly by clearing long-standing arrears and gratuities inherited from previous governments.

‎In recent months, the state approved and began disbursing over N8 billion—comprising N5 billion for state retirees and N3 billion for local government retirees—to settle backlog gratuities spanning decades, including periods from 1999 to 2019. Payments have commenced, and officials describe the move as a restoration of dignity for senior citizens.

‎Despite these gratuity clearances, the core issue of the monthly pension rate remains unresolved, prompting continued calls for a comprehensive review.

Pensioners have emphasized that while clearing arrears is welcome, a sustainable increase in the regular monthly stipend is essential for their day-to-day survival.

‎The emotional appeal from the elderly pensioner has sparked widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians describing the situation as “heartbreaking,” “inhumane,” and a stark reflection of systemic neglect in the country’s pension framework.

Commentators urge Governor Fintiri to respond swiftly, building on his administration’s pension efforts to deliver meaningful relief.