S’East retirees seek law on prompt payment of pension, others

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By Maureen Edozie (‎Enugu)

NIGERIA: PENSIONERS in the South East have appealed to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to enact a legislation that will make it mandatory for pensioners to be paid their entitlements before political office holders are paid their severance allowances.

The South East chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) made this call at a press conference in Enugu, the state capital.

The NUP disclosed that some states of the South East geo-political zone owe retired primary school teachers 70 months pension arrears.

The National Vice President of the Union, South East zone, Dr. Emeka Onwumere, who represented the National President of NUP, Dr. Abel Afolaya, also alleged that some states in the zone equally owe up to 24 months arrears of pension and up to 16 years of gratuity to retired civil servants in the various states, except Anambra that pays as at when due.

Onwumere stated that pensioners are experiencing series of unpleasant situations which include stoppage of five percent federal government counterpart funding into local government pension fund, plight of pensioners under contributory pension scheme, state pensioners pathetic situation and minimum pension vis-à-vis minimum wage.

Also speaking, the Chairman of NUP Imo State chapter, Gideon Ezeji, lamented that Imo State was the worst in the country on issue of pension.

He alleged that ex-Governor of the State, Ikedi Ohakim, left only two months arrears of pension, which his successor, Rochas Okorocha, cleared on resumption of office.

He said that Okorocha paid monthly pensions as at when due until five months to his re-election, when he pleaded with the pensioners to support his re-election.

The governor said that since he was in the know of the plight of pensioners, he would clear the arrears after his re-election, the promise he reneged as the pension had accumulated to more than 20 months.

In Abia, the Chairman of the NUP and Secretary in the state, Comrade C. Udensi and Elder Arungwa respectively stated that 59 months of arrears of harmonization of pensions are still being owed most pensioners in the state.
According to them, primary school teachers, who retired before 2002, were owed Federal Share of Pension for over five years which became the responsibility of states and local government from 2002.
They further disclosed that nine years arrears of gratuity of retirees from parastatals were yet to be paid, adding that retirees from Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba were yet to receive their pension areas of 22 months.
The situation appears to be different in Anambra State following the confession by the NUP Chairman, Comrade A.C. Ugozor and Secretary, Deacon Ebo Emmanuel, that the government pays pensions to all pensioners as at when due up to August, 2016.

The leaders of the union in the state, however, averred that the state government is yet to effect the harmonization of pensions based on increase in 2003, 2007 and 2011 respectively.