NUP kicks as Fed Govt registers new pensioners’ union

Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

THE Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has expressed its opposition to the registration of the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPAN) by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The union said the action contravened extant labour laws and disregard the mother union, which it added was catering for the interests of civil and paramilitary pensioners in Nigeria, including all public corporations.

It urged the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to exercise restraint before removing 23,089 “unverified” corporations’ pensioners from its payroll.

PTAD, in a letter to NUP, had said it would remove from its payroll this month the names of pensioners who failed to appear for physical verification between April and November, last year, across the six geopolitical zone.

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A communiqué read by the union’s Chairman of All Sectoral Units and Parastatals, Elder Alex Abu, after a meeting in Abuja, reads: “The meeting hereby calls on PTAD to be careful and exercise restraint in the removal of 23,089 ‘unverified’ parastatals’ pensioners. Enough time and publicity should be given to the list for proper scrutiny before any name is to be removed.

“The meeting frowns at the purported registration of another trade union by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, in contravention of the extant labour laws and in utter disregard for the existing mother union – NUP – which is already catering for the interests of all civil and paramilitary pensioners in Nigeria, including all other parastatals…”