By Goodluck Ikiebe in Abuja.
The Federal Government has released funds to settle outstanding salaries owed to members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Federal Universities and pay benefits to retirees under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme.
In a statement on Saturday by Bawa Mokwa, Director, Press and Public Relations, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation confirmed that payments to NASU members have commenced, with many already confirming receipt.
The statement read, “The Federal Government has released funds for payment of withheld salary of Non-Academic Staff Union of Federal Universities.
“According to the OAGF, the Federal Government has also released funds for payment of benefits to retirees under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector.
“The OAGF said payments to the Non-Academic Staff of Federal Universities had commenced and many have confirmed receipt.”
The OAGF reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers and retirees.
On Monday, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU embarked on an indefinite strike over its four months of withheld salary.
Since then, activities have been grounded in universities across the country.
In an earlier interview with newsmen on Wednesday, the National President of SSANU, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, stated that university executives, including Vice-Chancellors, Bursars, and Registrars, did not receive salaries for four months.
He said as a result, the universities would remain completely shut down until the payments were made.
Some retirees on the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, who spoke with The Reporters on the development in Lokoja commended the federal government but stressed the need for the timely commencement of the payment of their benefits as well.
This, they said, became necessary to wipe away their tears of many years they have been waiting for such benefits to be paid.
One of the CPS retirees, Alhaji Sani Idris, based in kaduna,in a telephone interview with our correspondent, urged the federal government to clarify how the affected retirees would be paid.
“Is the benefit going to be paid directly to the account of the CPS retirees or through our pension fund administrators, PFAs?
” We need to know all these details to give us assurance that the government is serious about paying us these benefits,” he said.
Another CPS retiree, now a traditional ruler in Ondo, the Olupeji of Ipeji,His Royal Highness,Oba Omolade Michael,expressed joy,in similar channel of communication with The Reporters,about the federal government’s decision to pay benefits to affected retirees.
He expressed optimistism that the long-overdue payments would bring relief to those retirees, “especially in this time of harsh economic reality in Nigeria.”
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
