By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Pensioners from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, FCTA Chapter, yesterday in Abuja protested against the non payment of their 33 months salaries by the FCT Administration demanding arears of their pay.
The protesters told journalists at the venue that they had stepped down their protest last year November because the FCT Minister had assured them that their 33 months unpaid salaries would be paid immediately but unfortunately he has not fulfilled that promise.
State Chairman of the Union, Mohammed Bida said they occupied the FCTA entrance to draw the attention of the minister, Malam Muhammad Bello to his unfulfilled promise.
He said, “We were to commence a peaceful assembly at the Minister’s office November 2021, but we were called for a dialogue. The Minister assured us that we would be paid immediately the National Assembly approve the 2022 FCT budget, up till date we have not been paid the consequential adjusted arrears (33 months) which circular came out in 2019.”
“The union has been writing letters of reminder to no avail, our members have asked us, the leaders to issue a 14 – day notice of peaceful gathering starting from December, 2022. We have done that and nothing happened, that is why we started the protest today.”
Bida said that the consequential adjusted pension (33 months) which circular came out in 2019, has since been implemented by the Area Council Pension board with full payment, but lamented that the FCDA is yet to do so.
Director FCTA Human Resource Management Mohammed Bashir, however assured the Presioners that their arrears will be paid on or before May 29, 2023.
“The administration said it concerned with the plights of its pensioners but there are processes which we are almost done with, on or before May 29, 2023, all the arrears will be cleared.”
Bashir also stated that the administration had directed the Pension Director to within two weeks capture all the pensioners on National Health Insurance Scheme, as he assured them that as soon as the processes are cleared their pension will be paid.
