“,,Pay us our pension accrued rights, increments”,they beg FG
By correspondent in Abuja.
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS) has once again urged the Federal Government to pay retirees their accrued rights and pension increments.
The National Chairman of the Union, Mr. Sylva Nwaiwu, made the appeal on Thursday during a peaceful protest organized by the union outside the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) in Abuja.
“If all the releases from the 2024 budget for the payment of accrued rights and pension increments to retirees under the National Pension Commission (PenCom) are not cash-backed for immediate payment between January 23 and 29, members of the union will have no choice but to make your office their new homes,” Nwaiwu declared.
“We have just submitted our letters to the two offices, and if our demands are not met, our next step will be to turn this entire premises into our residence until the Accountant General releases funds for the payment of our entitlements,” he added.
The union’s National Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Etheleert Ibeh, also called on the government to pay all the pension increments that are owed.
He emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution requires pensioners to receive salary increases whenever workers’ salaries are raised.
“The increment approved by the president for all retirees is N32,000 per month,” Ibeh explained. “That means, if I am receiving N40,000 as a stipend, adding the N32,000 should be my new total, but the authorities responsible for this have failed to act.”
“I worked to help the government, but since I retired in 2016, I’ve seen no increase. After all my years of service, if I knew I would be suffering like this, I would not have given them the services I did,” he lamented.
Earlier, the Director of Funds at OAGF, Dr. James Abraka, assured the protestors that the ministry was working on their request.
“Please give us more time; we promise to get back to your union soon,” he said.
Our correspondent recalls that the pensioners concerned similar event in Abuja towards the end of 2024 on similar demands.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
