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Tag: Pensioners

  • Pensioners protest against non payment of 33 months salary

    Pensioners protest against non payment of 33 months salary

    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.

  • BNSG to Pay N1.2 billion Pensions and Gratuities to Retirees

    BNSG to Pay N1.2 billion Pensions and Gratuities to Retirees

    By Isaac Kertyo, Makurdi

    Reprieve may have come the way of Pensioners in Benue State following N1.2 billion remittance into the retirement account of the Benue State Government to off-set pensions and Gratuities owed retirees in the state.

    The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom who gave this indication at a church service on Sunday noted that the said amount would soon be paid to them.

    Ortom contended that the present government inherited a colossal sum of N68 billion from previous administrations as pensions and Gratuities, stating that he has paid N40 billion to retired workers.

    The Governor assured that with the Pension Commission Law, Pensions and Gratuities of the retirees would be paid on a regular basis.

    He enjoined the people of Benue State not to relent in their prayers to God to end attacks and killings of the people, assuring that he would continue to do his best despite daunting challenges rocking the state.

  • Minimum Wage: Pensioners To Get Increased Pay From May – FG

    Minimum Wage: Pensioners To Get Increased Pay From May – FG

    The Federal Government has announced plans to commence increased payment of pension to retirees to reflect the new minimum wage.

    This follows the presidential approval for the implementation of the consequential adjustment to the pension benefits occasioned by the new minimum wage of 2019.

    The payment of the new pension to retirees will commence from May, Dr Chioma Ejikeme told reporters at a briefing on Friday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    Ejikeme is the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) – the Federal Government agency established in August 2013 in compliance with the provisions of Section 30 sub-section (2) (a) of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) of 2004 (amended in 2014).

    She noted that with the approval, PTAD would commence the upward adjustment of all pensioners’ benefits according to the approved template.

    The PTAD chief also announced that the arrears would take effect from April 2019 and the agency would commence payment also in May.

    According to her, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has no reason to protest as the issue was at the conclusive stage and PTAD will continue to work hard to improve the quality of the lives of the senior citizens.

    Ejikeme, however, warned that the payment of the new pension benefits would be done as a responsibility of the government and no form of gratification would be requested.

    She asked the pensioners to report anyone requesting gratification before their benefits would be paid.

    The PTAD chief appealed to the senior citizens to continue to cooperate with the agency to provide better services to them.

  • Pensioners Threaten Nationwide Protest, Give FG 21-Day Ultimatum

    Pensioners Threaten Nationwide Protest, Give FG 21-Day Ultimatum

    Pensioners in Nigeria have threatened to embark on a nationwide protest giving the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum.

    The pensioners during a briefing at the nation’s capital, Abuja called on the Federal Government to implement the Consequential adjustment of pensions, arising from the implementation of the National minimum wage for Nigerian workers; hence they will occupy streets in protest.

    The National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Abel Afolayan said it is disheartening that after two years of implementing the national minimum wage, the Federal Government is yet to approve their demands as stipulated in the constitution.

    Quoting from the 1999 constitution with respect to sections 173(3) and 210 (3) as it affects the 5 -yearly review of pension, Afolayan said they should be a review or together with the salary reviews of workers

    The pensioners said further that two years after the adjustment of salaries and the implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage as approved by the Government, they are still waiting for the approval of their own consequential adjustment of monthly pensions, in compliance with the above constitutional stipulation, even after several efforts by the national leadership of the union.

    File photo of retired soldiers protesting

    It will be recalled that retired soldiers earlier in January occupied the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja, over the non-payment of their pension arrears.

    The ex-servicemen appealled to the Federal Government to approve the payment of minimum wage arrears accruing to them between 2019 till date.

    They also demanded a stop on all deductions on the pension of all retired medical officers as well as the inclusion of officers who fought during the civil war on the military pension scheme.

  • Abia police arrest pensioners during protest against non-payment of pension arrears

    Abia police arrest pensioners during protest against non-payment of pension arrears

    Police in Abia on Thursday arrested two pensioners in Umuahia for allegedly organising a protest in Umuahia against alleged state government’s failure to pay their pension arrears.
    The arrested persons included Daniel Amugo and Chukwuemeka Augustus, the Chairman and Secretary of a group, called Abia State Concerned Pensioners.
    Speaking with newsmen, the Vice Chairman of the group, John Kalu, said that police arrested the two people after their meeting with the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Aham Uko, in his office.
    He said that they wanted to embark on a peaceful protest in the city, adding that the commissioner, however, invited their leaders to his office for a meeting.
    He said that they were in the meeting when the commissioner allegedly received a phone call, adding that shortly after the call, some police operatives met them on their way after the meeting and took them to the Umuahia Area Command.
    The commissioner however denied holding any meeting with pensioners in his office.
    Speaking on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, said the pensioners were arrested for impersonating the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Abia.
    Ogbonna said that the command received a petition accusing them of impersonation.
    He said that the matter was being investigated, adding that the national leadership of NUP had disowned the protesters. (NAN)

  • I will alleviate your suffering, Makinde assures pensioners

    I will alleviate your suffering, Makinde assures pensioners

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has assured pensioners in the state of his administration’s commitment toward alleviating their suffering.

    Makinde gave the assurance on Wednesday during the celebration of the 2019 Pensioners’ Day by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the state at the Pensioners’ House, Agbarigo, Ibadan.

    The governor, who was represented by Idowu Ogedengbe, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Administration, said he ” feels the pains of workers , especially the pensioners in the state.”

    Makinde said that the pensioners, who laboured  in building the state, should not be made to suffer.

    “We will not leave you behind in all our policies; we will take you into consideration and ensure that your post service years are not traumatic.

    “You will not regret in serving the state,”Makinde said.

    The Oyo State NUP Secretary, Mr Olusegun Abatan, commended Makinde for putting smiles on the faces of pensioners in the state through prompt payment of their pensions.

    Abatan said that the governor  had paid almost N3billion gratuities within six months of his administration, adding that the previous Abiola Ajimobi administration could not do this in eight years.

    In his lecture, Mr Waheed Olojede, a former Oyo State NLC chairman, called on employers of labour in both private and public sectors to treat retirees humanely. (NAN).