3 hours ago
19
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has called on Abia State Governor Alex Otti to reverse a decision that erased 45 months’ worth of pension arrears and gratuities owed to retirees in the state.
In a letter addressed to the governor and signed by its National President, Godwin Abumisi, and General Secretary, Elder Actor Zal, NUP said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) responsible for the pension arrears erasure was signed in error and has led to dissatisfaction among its members.
The union, while acknowledging Otti’s efforts in ensuring the prompt payment of monthly pensions since June 2023, stated: “The union officials signed the MOU in error, but with genuine intention and not to discredit your administration in any way.”
NUP maintained that pension payments and gratuities should not be tampered with, as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), adding that a majority of pensioners did not consent to forgoing their legitimate entitlements, making the MOU unjust.
NUP further appealed to the governor to settle the outstanding 45 months’ pension arrears and ensure that the forfeited gratuities are paid. “We appeal to you to accept our plea and completely re-examine the earlier areas of pensions paid to retirees in percentage and pay the remaining balance,” the union stated.
While commending the governor for discontinuing the previous administration’s policy of percentage-based pension payments, NUP reaffirmed that pensions are a right, not a privilege. “It is on record that before your administration came to power, Abia State pensioners were virtually not paid their monthly entitlements, and at some point, they were even paid in percentage, which is against the extant law that guarantees payment of pension as a RIGHT and not a privilege,” the letter noted.
The union, therefore, urged Otti to sustain his pension-friendly policies and address the grievances of Abia pensioners to ensure justice and fairness in pension administration.
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