By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Kaduna State chapter of Nigeria Union of Pensioners have rejected the post retirement training being organized for retirees by Kaduna State Pension Bureau’ headed by Executive Secretary (ES), Prof. Salamatu Idris Isah, saying it was introduced mainly to delay the payment of gratuity and death benefits of its vulnerable members.
The pensioners also rejected the sum of N40,000 and 20,000, being deducted from gratuity of the retirees and that of pensioners to sponsor the training, arguing that the deduction did not comply with the best established practice, and ran contrary to the state pension reform law 2016 as amended.
A rejection letter dated 27th November 2023, with ref. no. NUP/KDS/HQ/VOL.2/19, obtained by our Kaduna correspondent put the total amount of money so far deducted at over N38 million, which the pensioners are demanding for the immediate refund.
The letter signed by the State Secretary, Kaduna State chapter of Nigeria Union Pensioners, Comrade Alhassan Balarabe Musa, and addressed to Governor Uba Sani, also queried the rationale behind paying gratuity for only 20 persons per day.
According to the letter, gratuities are always released at once, which had been the usual practice, after an extensive, thorough and reliable verification of authentic beneficiaries are conducted, done and certified as had already been conducted on all of them.
The letter entitled: “Rejection of Post Retirement Training Being Organized by Kaduna State Pension Bureau”, stated that “We write to re-affirm our appreciation to his Excellency for being very considerate to the Kaduna State Pensioners, by approving N3.1billion for the payment of gratuity and death benefit, which we believe will touch the lives of many Kaduna State Pensioners.
“However it may interest His Excellency to note that despite his effort in uplifting the living standard of our pensioner’s, the Executive Secretary Kaduna State Pension Bureau introduces post retirement training just to delay the payment of gratuity to our vulnerable Pensioners.
“To Sponsor the training, the Sum of N40, 000.00 and N20, 000.00 is being deducted from the Gratuity of the Retirees and that of Nigeria Union of pensioners respectively”, according to the letter also with imprint of Aboman Ladan, Alh. Shehu Isah Hunkuyi as Executive chairman and treasurer respectively.
It continues that “These deductions do not align with the best established practices, and contrary to Kaduna State Pension reform
law 2016 as amended. Equally the gratuity is being paid 20 persons per day instead to be released at once as it is being done before, we can’t understand the rationale behind such delay?
“Therefore Nigeria Union of Pensioners Kaduna State Chapter wishes to
disassociate itself with any misleading polices that is contrary to the law and
increases hardship to our Pensioners, and is not being practices in any of the 36 States in the Federation’, it stressed.
The letter further noted that the state sectorial council, the highest body of Nigeria Union of pensioners in the state in its meeting of 18th November 2023, resolved that payment of gratuity should be done at blow for the all retirees, deduction from retiree’s gratuity and that of Union’s checkoff dues be stopped.
“All deductions should be refunded immediately, October Union checkoff dues should be remitted to the Nigeria Union of pensioners of state chapter’s account immediately “, the letter directed.
The pensioners therefore appealed to Governor Sani to immediately direct the ES Bureau to comply with their prayers immediately, while appreciating his concern for the state pensioners plight.
Contacted for clarification, the ES Kaduna Pension Bureau, Prof. Salamatu Isah, told our correspondent to disclosed the source of his information after introduction.
Prof. Salamatu also demanded that our reporter should get clearance from government house before they can talk, when he persevered.
“Get your clearance from the Government House pls. Yes, because all that we did was approved and the union was in the picture.
“You can investigate if you are a good journalist. You can also check with the Chief Press Secretary in Govt House.
“The same pension Union has reported the matter before public complaints commission kaduna, l am making my submission to the commission on the matter. Hence, l cannot make any response to the above mentioned allegations. Until the commission is done with their investigations”, the ES responded.
Also contacted, Pensioners State Executive chairman and Secretary who confined the allegations said individuals, some local governments and some members with certain banks are facing severe delay in pension payment especially Jaba LGA and one other.
“Refusal to remit checkoff- dues to Nigerian Union of Pensioners when deducted from the pensioners. In order to provoke the union members to come on the streets for protest.
“She refused to follow up to pay the February 2021 pension for Jaba LGA Pensioners”.
“Most of the times Local Government may remit their pension fund but the Bureau may hold the money for some days before payment to individual pensioners. If gratuity is paid after the pensioners was screen it will take up to a month before the pensioner will be paid
However, when the Chief press Secretary to the Governor, Shehu Lawal, was contacted, he could not respond til the time of filing this report.
According to our findings with the pensioners, everywhere in the world, the post-Retirement trainings are not in practice.
“What we know is pre-retirement training. She deceived the government and the General populace by saying she got approval of post-Retirement, after all her letter to the Governor indicated pre-retirement”, Pensioners Secretary said.
“They also sponsor a political thug to go on Air to accused Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), National Union of Local Governments Employees (NULGE) and National of Pensioners (NUP), with a false allegations, aimed at encouraging industrial disharmony, and uprising which will lead to security threat in the State, which the trade Unions refused to respond, for the sake of love they have for their State Governor Malam Uba Sani’, Musa stated. End
