President Buhari
THE Federal Government has released a total N72.939 billion for the settlement of pensioners retirement benefits in the 2016 Budget, the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, revealed on Wednesday.
Also, Akabueze said a total of N231, 828 billion has been proposed in the 2017 Budget to facilitate various payments of pension and retirement benefits.
Akabueze made these revelations as the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba and the President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Dr Abel Afolayan, painted the pathetic plight of pensioners, especially at the state levels, where state governors are treating pensioners with disdain, contempt and hatred.
Akabueze, Comrade Wabba and Afolayan were speaking at the 10th Quadrennial National Delegates’ Conference of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners held in Kaduna.
According to Akabueze, the Budget Office, together with the Federal Ministry of Finance had ensure the release of N18,823,421,342.00 plus an additional N54, 115,517,414.50, into the Retirement Bond Benefit Redemption Fund (RBBRF) account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the settlement of pensioners retirement benefits, from the 2016 Budget.
He explained further that a total of N231, 828, 154, 467.50 is being proposed in the 2017 Budget for the settlement of outstanding pension benefits owned to about 19,830 retirees and diseased families; payment for pension increase for about 79,961 pensioners; and one per cent monthly wage bill for the funding of Pension Protection Fund.
It is also for the settlement of shortfall of the retirement benefits for retired Heads of Service of the Federation and Federal Permanent Secretaries including 16 Permanent Secretaries that are due to retire in 2017, and ensure adequate payment of monthly five per cent of total wage bill into the RBBRF account.
He stressed the importance of the Budget Office to NUP, saying that the successful coordination and implementation of the core mandate of the union rests on the shoulders of the Budget Office that is charged with the responsibility of ensuring adequate budgetary provisions and prompt releases of monthly retirement benefits for pensioners.
“By these efforts, the Budget Office is guaranteeing the union and indeed Nigerians on its unrelenting resolve to continue making payments and settlement of all pensions and retirement benefits to our esteemed retirees and deceased families.”
While speaking on the plights of pensioners, the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and the NUP President, Afolayan said they would mobilise their members across the country to vote out governors who are owing salaries and pension in 2019 elections.
Specifically, Wabba described non payment of pension and salaries as “evil and condemnable,” adding that the political elites should be held responsible for the economic situation presently facing the country.
The NLC president said: “Comrades, we have an opportunity. We thank God that INEC has allowed for the registration of those that do not have Permanent Voters Card. Every worker, every pensioner and their family must get voters card. Those governors that are doing well, we will support them. Those that have refused to pay us, we will show them the way out.”
He lamented that many pensioners are unable to feed and send their children to school due to non payment of pension by the governors, stressing that some states still pay a minimum monthly pension of N4,000.
He said: “Non payment of pension is evil and it’s condemnable. These are categories of senior citizens that have contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria. It is in our best interest to respect the rights of these senior citizens
“The challenges we are passing through today as a country is not an act of God. It is an act made possible by some of us, especially the political class. And therefore, it will take a conscious political class to take us out of this political class.
In his address, NUP president, Dr Afolayan, lamented that most state governors are not treating their pensioners with required seriousness, commitment and concern.
He said in many states, pensioners are owed gratuities and pensions running into several months or even many years, adding that many states have not complied with the constitutional provision of five yearly pension review.
He pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to give bailouts to state governors “strictly for pensioners as they were given for their workers” to enable them offset pension liabilities.
Tribune
