Retired civil servants under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Electricity Pensioners on Wednesday took to the street in Ilorin, protesting the non-payment of their pension and other severance packages by the Federal Government.

They carried placards with inscriptions such as "Federal Government, please save us from dying"; "We can't bear this anymore"; "Haba! We have served government well, why this suffering?".

The retirees, who converged on Challenge area in Ilorin for the peaceful demonstration, described their predicament as appalling.

Addressing the protesters, the Chairman of the Ilorin branch of the union, Elder Augustine Adeyeye, called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene, as his members could no longer bear the situation.

Adeyeye, who said the government and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have reached an agreement with the National President of the union, Tempo Ubani, on the modality for the payment of the pensioners' entitlement, wondered why government has reneged on its pledge.

He told the protesters that the agreement was that their allowances would be paid by the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited, which he alleged, claimed not to have the record for payment.

Also speaking, the duo of the union secretary, Deacon Lawrence Otitoju and John Akanbi and as well as National Vice President, Women Wing, Hajia Rafat Olanike Ojuolape, appealed to PHCN to release pensioners' record to NELMCON for necessary processing and prompt payment.

They unanimously posited that their current trying period, occasioned by the delay in the payment of their entitlements, amounts to gradual killing, adding that this should not be their fate after serving the country meticulously.