… Call for payment of 100% pension,gratuity,harmonization of Pension.
Engr.Clement Ohida.
The Kogi State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners says Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has started on a very good note.
According to the chapter, the entire pensioners of the State appreciate the Government over what it described as an appreciable improvement in the percentage payment paid to Pensioners after the payment of February pension.
However,the NUP called on the Government to look into the payment of gratuity for Pensioners in the Local Government areas, pointing out that” as at today, nobody has been paid a dime as far as gratuity is concerned.”
The Chairman of the chapter, Engr. Clement Ohida, who made the disclosure shortly after the Central Working Committee Meeting of the Union held in Lokoja on Tuesday, appealed for the harmonization of pension for Pensioners who retired several years back.
The NUP noted that the payment of 100% pension to Pensioners in the State is achievable, based on the Federal Government policy, asking that all arrears of pension be cleared.
Engr. Ohida maintained that, “while we are appreciating the State Government for where we are, we believe that payment of 100% pension is achievable”.
” We call on the Government to look into the aspect of payment of gratuity as this will help cushion the economic situation of our Pensioners”.
The NUP Chairman who decried payment of percentage to pensioners, said “the appreciation the union is making is occasioned by the fact that Local Government Pensioners have had to live with percentage payment of pension for several years.”
He added:” We are coming from a situation where Pensioners have had to live with 30-35% of their pension for whatever reason. But progressively, we’re now on 85% reason for the appreciation”.
“We are not unaware that many of our people are not happy about this development of percentage pension. But the fact that whatever you cannot get by fighting, you may not have a choice but to apply diplomacy to still arrive at it”.
” As a Union, we’re ready to bend backwards, reason why we’re appreciating the Government and also asking for more in the areas of 100% payment of pension, harmonization and payment of gratuity”.
” We equally appeal to the State Government on the need to harmonize pension in the State. We have pensioners who retired several years back and what they take is nothing to write home about”.
” Some states have implemented what is called minimum pension making, Pensioners take home something reasonable. In Kogi, we still have Pensioners who take as little as N5,000. Now when that amount is paid, based on percentage, you can imagine what it means for such a Pensioner”.
Engr. Ohida,who assured the present administration of the support and cooperation of Pensioners, expressed optimism that Pensioners would enjoy payment of 100% pension, gratuity and harmonization.
Edited by Dawud Ahmed.
