The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Union of Pensioners

  • Pensioners to Buhari: have mercy on us

    Pensioners in the Federal Civil Service have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to give more attention to the welfare of the senior citizens who had served the country meritoriously during their active service.

    Although, they appreciated the efforts made so far by the present administration, but still pleading that the payment of the remaining outstanding allowances should be made for the survival of their members.

    They spoke through the new chairman of the Federal Civil Service Pensioners( FCSP) in Ondo state, Kehinde Durotoye on Monday during the inauguration of its new executives in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

    The election was coordinated by Officials of FCSP from Abuja under the aegis of Nigerian Union of Pensioners( NUP).

    He said the federal government should fast track the efforts in settling all outstanding arrears of pensioners, stressing that many of them had died due to lack of funds to meet various needs especially food and medication.

    Durotoye recalled with dissatisfaction May 2011, when he was appointed as the state coordinator of the union by former leadership of the union and inaugurated alongside other sister states of Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi and Ogun.

    He said”: We thought we had arrived but the shenanigans that played out between the former leaders and NUP National Headquarters scuttled that dream.

    The chairman noted that the National Headquarters decided not to recognize the inauguration on the grounds that they were not carried along despite being duly informed in writing and approved fund for the exercise.

    The state NUP Chairman,Chief Raphael Adetuwo congratulated the new officers, noting that as leader of Pensioners, he should be ready to tolerate incessant worries from senior citizens because of old age hazards and poverty.

    Other new executive members include Segun Ayegoro, Vice Chairman, Mrs O.Agbi, Treasurer, Olusegun Jacob, Auditor, James Aremu, State Trustee 1 and Femi Owoeye, State Auditor 11.

  • Over 25,000 pensioners not on Fed Govt payroll

    More than 25,000 pensioners are still excluded from the Federal Government’s payroll of retirees, according to the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP).

    Lagos Chapter Chairman of NUP, Joseph Dele, told reporters that the affected pensioners were not among over 300,000 paid under Defined Benefits Scheme and Contributory Pension Scheme.

    The NUP urged Federal Government to mandate the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to conduct verification exercise for the affected pensioners to enable them get gratuities for their long years of service.

    He described allegations that officials of the union were involved in pension fund scam as an excuse not to pay NUP members excluded from the payroll system.

    “The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, alleged that the pension fraud was perpetrated by public officials with the active connivance of NUP, Association of Federal Public Service Retirees, among others.

    “NUP did not collude with anyone to list 16,238 ghost pensioners to siphon N839 million to fictitious pensioners monthly.

    “Over 25,000 and not 16,238 members were still excluded on the payroll.

    “They are not fictitious pensioners as claimed by the AGF and as we speak they are not on federal government payroll,” he said.

    Dele explained that only one per cent of monthly pensioners’ fund was remitted to the NUP secretariat for maintainance and other ad-hocs services.

  • Pensioners urge Tambuwal to seek re-election in 2019

    Pensioners urge Tambuwal to seek re-election in 2019

    Members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners ( NUP ), Sokoto state chapter have urged the Governor of the state, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, to seek re-election in 2019.

    Alhaji Umaru Abubakar, the state Chairman of the union gave the advice on Monday in Sokoto while speaking with journalists during the 2017 pensioners’ day.

    He said the decision of the union was based on the fact that Tambuwal had been able to pay N4 billion accumulated and inherited gratuities and pensions to state and local government retirees in two years.

    Abubakar said the present administration in the state achieved the feat in spite its current financial crisis.

    Read also: Tambuwal commends FG on economic diversification

    He also said the union had resolved to purchase nomination form for the governor in appreciation of his efforts toward uplifting the living standard of pensioners in the state.

    “The regular payment of our entitlements and the payment of our arrears have made Sokoto one of the states that gives priority to the welfare of pensioners in the country.

    “The members of the union have resolved to ask Tambuwal to seek for a second term in view of his commitment to our welfare in Sokoto,’’ he said.

    The state chairman called on all well-meaning people of the state to support the state government to ensure its continuity beyond 2019.

    “This is because of the present administration’s outstanding achievements in the education and health sector.”

    NAN

  • PTAD advocates first line charge for pension payment

    PTAD advocates first line charge for pension payment

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) is advocating for a first line charge for payment of pension to the nation’s senior citizens as a way of addressing the frequent non-payment of pension across the country.

    Executive Secretary of PTAD, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor who made the call while speaking at a stakeholders forum in Abuja said north states and Federal Government should make the payment of pension as a top priority, pointing out that making it a first line charge will ensure that pensioners are paid their entitlements before salaries of workers are paid.

    She disclosed that the agency is making frantic efforts to ensure that all arrears of 33 percent pension increase owed to Pensioners is paid to them, pointing out that police Pensioners were recently paid additional nine months of the 33 percent, leaving a balance of 30 months yet to be paid.

    Barrister Ikeazor also disclosed that the agency has recovered about N16 billion in funds and assets from the legacy pension funds and assets, most of which were from NICON Insurance.

    According to her. Various government anti-corruption agencies were working closely with PTAD in the fight against corruption to ensure that pension administration does not revert to its old method, while also working with PenCom to improve the agency’s overall compliance to match the Pension industry standards.

    She said the vision of the agency is to be the model Organisation for the delivery of innovative and sustainable pension services, pointing out that at the moment, the agency was not owing pensioners any monthly pension as this is paid to them promptly on a monthly basis.

    She said that the immediate plan of the agency was to secure funds to complete the ongoing verification exercise of federal government pensioners across the country, commence the verification of parastatal pensioners which she said has statutes with the verification of staff of some privatized agencies like the New Nigeria Newspapers, NICON Insurance and Re-Insurance.

    She said PTAD is also working to secure the release of additional funds and assets being held by insurance underwriters and the application of same to reduce inherited liability, improve service delivery turnaround for pensioners, expand state liaison offices and develop a social welfare package for verified pensioners.

    National President of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Dr Abel Afolayan commended the management of PTAD for the new innovation which ensures prompt payment of pensions and appealed to the government t to always make funds available to the agency to carry out its assigned responsibilities.

    Afolayan complained about the delay in the payment of the balance of 33 percent arrears of pension increase to police pensioners whom he said are going to through difficult times.

    He said “the police, whether in service or out of service does not protest. But we are prepared to protest on their behalf. We are appealing that this issue be looked into and other identified problems of pensioners also”.

  • FG’s N54bn pension liabilities release not enough – Pensioners  

    FG’s N54bn pension liabilities release not enough – Pensioners  

    The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) has said that the N54 billion released by the Federal Government to cleared pension liabilities to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was not enough to cleared pension arrears.

    Dr Abel Afolayan, NUP President said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said that the NUP felt the compelling need to put the facts straight as the Federal Government indebtedness to the CPS was over N280 billion.

    He said the release of N54 billion could not be said to have cleared the backlog of pension liability, adding the Federal Government had consistently under-appropriated for the CPS over the past few years.

    “NUP has it on verified record that whereas the sum N93 billion was needed to service Federal Government’s statutory obligations to the CPS in 2014, only N30.6 billion was approved, resulting in N62.4 billion deficit.

    “Whereas N98.7 billion was needed for the year 2015, the budget office only proposed the sum of N60.2 billion to the National Assembly that alone was a shortfall of N38.5billion.

    According to him, the year 2016 was worse as N91.9 billion was required, but the budget office proposed only N50 billion to the National Assembly, which also approved it, leaving a deficit of N41.9 billion.

    He said that of the N50 billion approved in the 2016 budget, only the sum N18.8 billion or mandates for four months was released and cash-backed.

    He added that N31.3 billion or mandate for seven and half months was never cash-backed and released.

    According to him, the truth is that approval of payment is not the same as payment.

    “It will be good for the minister to tell us when the fund was transferred to the National Pension Commission, and when it will hit pensioners’ accounts.

    “Importantly, we are saddened that the Federal Government is claiming to have cleared pension arrears when the Minister did not say a word regarding the over N174 billion owed pensioners who retired under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).”

    According to him, does it mean that pensioners under this scheme have finally been condemned to life of eternal hardship, sickness, and untimely death, President Muhammadu Buhari is not only a retiree, but also a kind leader.

    “NUP recalls that he bent backwards to release bailout to State governments, which could not pay salaries.

    “We call on the President to also extend the same kindness to the federal pensioners among us, whose pension benefits are his primary responsibility.

    “ There is no doubt that the way retirees are treated would decide whether those in service and the younger generation would cue behind government’s anti-graft war or engage in looting to prepare for life after service,” he said.

    Mrs Kemi Adeosun, the Minister of Finance had said in a statement that the Federal Government released the sum of N54 billion to clear liabilities to the CPS from 2014 till date.