Pensioners The Nigerian Union of Pensioners have asked the federal and state governments to pay all pension arrears they are owing retirees to ease their sufferings.
The union made the appeal at a news conference to mark the 2015 Pensioners’ Day at the Nigeria Labour Congress headquarters in Abuja.
December 11 every year is set aside to celebrate pensioners who have served the nation in different capacities and are now out of active public service.
Rather than just celebrate this time around, they took time to reflect on their unpaid arrears and gratuities, asking the government to fulfil its part of the counterpart funding agreement.
According to the National President of the Pensioners Union, Mr Abel Afolayan, some states have not paid their members in the last 15 years while others who are on the federal government payroll are being owed up to 42 months pension arrears.
Apart from asking the government to clear up the areas, the pensioners are also asking the government to increase their pensions as required by the law
Meanwhile the Chairman Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, assured the pensioners that the National Assembly would protect their rights.
Issues about the welfare of pensioners have been a recurrent decimal even with past governments but the pensioners expressed eagerness to know what plans the new administration has for them.
Channels Television
3 Comments