Ogun retiree says wife died without receiving nine months’ pension benefits

A retired teacher in Ogun State, Charles Ogunbanwo, has accused the state government of failing to pay his late wife’s retirement benefits for nine months, saying the prolonged struggle for the money added to the family’s hardship before her death.

Ogunbanwo’s wife, Hannah, a retired head teacher, died on October 16 after undergoing two surgeries, leaving behind her husband and four children.

In an interview with PUNCH, the widower said his wife spent the months following her retirement demanding payment of benefits she believed were due to her after decades of service to the Ogun State Government.

Hannah retired on January 16, 2026, after working in the state’s public education sector for about 35 years. She began her teaching career in 1991 and became a head teacher in 2010.

According to her husband, she received no pension payment from the government during the nine months between her retirement and her death.

Ogunbanwo said his wife became involved in a campaign by affected retirees after discovering discrepancies in the calculation of their retirement benefits.

He said an examination of her pension account showed an amount of about N4m, which the retirees considered inadequate in view of their years of service and the benefits they believed they were entitled to receive.

The amount had reportedly risen to about N15m by the month preceding her death, according to Ogunbanwo.

He said the affected retirees asked the state government to pay about 50 per cent of their accrued benefits upfront, with the remaining balance spread over 15 years.

Hannah emerged as one of the leading voices in the campaign in Remo, where she coordinated other affected retirees and participated in at least three rallies to demand government intervention.

The dispute, according to her husband, centred on the pension arrangement under which the retirees should receive their benefits.

He said the retirees wanted to be paid under the Defined Benefit Scheme, while the state government maintained that the Contributory Pension Scheme should apply to them.

Ogunbanwo alleged that the disagreement prevented his wife and other affected retirees from accessing the money they believed they had earned through years of public service.

He added that some retirees who received cheques were unable to access the full amounts because they had not transferred their funds to their Retirement Savings Accounts.

The widower said the family’s financial difficulties worsened when Hannah developed health complications about three months before her death.

He said she was diagnosed with cyanosis and was admitted to a private hospital in Ilishan-Remo, where she spent about a month and underwent two surgeries.

The family reportedly spent more than N8m on her treatment, relying on donations, assistance from relatives and loans to cover the medical bills.

Ogunbanwo said he was left indebted to several people despite efforts to save his wife’s life.

He also disclosed that the family had been referred to another hospital in Lagos for further treatment and had deposited N2m there before her condition deteriorated.

According to him, Hannah returned from Lagos on October 11 but became critically ill five days later. She was taken to Owokoniran Hospital in Sagamu, where she died less than 30 minutes after arrival.

Ogunbanwo said he believed the lack of access to her retirement benefits compounded the family’s difficulties during her illness, although he did not establish that the pension dispute directly caused her death.

The widower described his wife as hardworking, compassionate and committed to the welfare of others, saying she had dedicated her productive years to serving the state.

He appealed to the Ogun State Government to address the grievances of affected retirees and reconsider its position on the pension arrangement.

He said many retired civil servants were facing hardship because of unresolved disputes over their entitlements and urged the authorities to ensure that workers who had served the state could access the benefits due to them.