Ayodeji Ayenuwa
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a N25,000 monthly wage award for federal pensioners has earned commendation from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP).
During the 2023 Pensioners and Older Persons Day in Abuja, NUP’s National President, Godwin Abumisi, expressed gratitude and called for swift payment to alleviate pensioners’ struggles.
“We trust that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs who is entrusted with the responsibility of handling the payment would expedite action on the payment,” Abumisi stated firmly, highlighting the urgency.
In line with fairness, Abumisi advocated for extending the wage award’s duration from three to six months, matching the benefits of regular employees. He emphasized the crucial role of government agencies in ensuring a smooth distribution process.
“We consider the above channels as effective, seamless means of getting across to our members with any form of palliative,” Abumisi emphasized the importance of maintaining accurate database records by agencies such as Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
Abumisi also drew attention to pressing issues faced by NUP members, including pension harmonization problems, omitted 2015 pension reviews, unpaid arrears, and delays in releasing accrued rights to contributory pensioners, amounting to about N140 billion.
“We hereby call on the Federal Government to intervene promptly to prevent untimely deaths among this group of pensioners,” Abumisi implored, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these concerns.
President Tinubu’s approval of N25,000 monthly grants for vulnerable pensioners under the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme garnered attention.
Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, revealed this during a meeting with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) at Labour House, Abuja.
“The President mentioned very clearly that vulnerable pensioners should be immediately captured in the National Social Register and benefit from the Conditional Cash Transfer, as part of the national social safety net expansion,” Edu stated, highlighting the President’s commitment.
The NLC president applauded the initiative but emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of poverty to effectively support pensioners and the labor force. He called for broader social welfare interventions and job creation as essential measures to combat poverty.
Techrectory with Agency Report.
