The Nation Newspaper

Tag: non-payment

  • Maritime retirees protest ‘non-payment’ of pension

    Pensioners of the defunct Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL) have protested the non-payment of their pension arrears by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) since last April.

    Their protest,  they said, was to draw attention to their suffering because of the non-payment of their accumulated arrears.

    Their President, Comrade Patrick Azu Ogobuegwu, who addressed the protesters at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Marina, Lagos, said over 200 of his members had died of hardship and lack of care.

    Ogobuegwu recalled that in 2012 they joined other pararstatals, including NITEL, NICON, and Delta Steel Company, Aladja, to mount pressure the Federal Government to reinstate them into the pension payroll in accordance with the Pension Act.

    He said although their request was granted, PTAD accidentally omitted NNSL later corrected it via a letter to the Ministry of Finance dated December 22, 2017, which also directed Finance Ministry to carry out verification and biometric capture of beneficiaries.

    While the pension of other parastatals had since been effected, Ogobuegwu said his members had been left to their fate.

    He said: “We are asking to know the crime NNSL pensioners committed that has made PTAD to deny us verification and payments as was done to others.

    “It is necessary to state here that NNSL is the forerunner among other parastatals liquidated, and the pensioners’ strength is about 800. The total estimate of pension arrears is about N3billion made up of five years’pension arrears, including 33 per cent on payment made in 2008.”

    The Chairman of the committee of the aforementioned parastatals, Mr. Solomon Nyorere, said NNSL members did not deserve the kind of hardship the government was making them to go through.

    One of the pensioners, Mr. Joseph Otsamira, said the situation has left him broke. “I borrowed N70,000 for hospital bill for my wife when she was sick in December, and another N40,000 for my children’s school fee. We are going through an ugly and unfortunate treatment meted out to us by PTAD,”he lamented, asking, “What is our offence?”

  • Owners seek compensation for demolished house

    Residents of Igbogbo Baiyeku in Ikorodu, Lagos yesterday protested at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

    They complained that the government had not compensated them for their demolished houses.

    The protesters carried placards with the inscriptions: “We say no to selective payment,” “Please pay our compensation as promised”, among others.

    Addressing the protesters, Majority Leader Sanai Agunbiade representing Ikorodu 1 said development always comes with pains, adding that the demolition followed reconstruction of roads.

    Read also: Buhari: why I defeated Jonathan in 2015

    The lawmaker, who hailed the protesters for their peaceful conduct, promised that the government, in conjunction with the House of Assembly, would look into the matter.

    He assured them that the matter would be presented to Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, promising that the government would pay those yet to be compensated.

     

  • Workers shut down National Assembly over pay

    •Saraki, Dogara direct Clerk, others to resolve issues

    PARLIAMENTARY Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) members yesterday made good their threat to disrupt activities at the National Assembly.

    The workers, in their numbers, shutdown the National Assembly over alleged non-payment of their salary and other allowances.

    The two chambers of the National Assembly were barricaded by the placards’ bearing workers as they stopped senators and House of Representatives members from accessing their offices.

    Principal officers, including Senate President Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Speaker House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and his deputy, Lasun Yusuff, were not left out.

    Some of the protesting workers took over the National Assembly lobby chanting solidarity songs as they displayed their numerous placards with various inscriptions.

    Read also: National Assembly should intervene in Ondo Assembly crisis, says Speaker

    Others mocked senators and House of Representatives members as they staged a fake parliamentary session with one of them bearing the mess.

    The workers had at the weekend threatened to picket the National Assembly over the issues.

    Clerk to the National Assembly Mohammed Sani-Omolori, however, insisted that the protest was uncalled for, especially when the demands of the workers were being treated.

    The workers vowed to continue the protest until Sani Omolori is removed from office.

    They claimed that efforts to explore dialogue with the management failed to yield expected results.

    They also claimed that since Sani-Omolori came on board, 28 per cent increase of Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS), which was captured in 2018 budget has not been paid.

    “The money has been released alongside other releases, and we ask where is our allowance?”

    “We will not rest on CONLESS until we receive alert. Omolori must go,” the workers chanted.

    PASAN issued a statement at the weekend to alert the National Assembly management of its planned protest scheduled for three days beginning from yesterday.

    Some of the placards read: “Pass our condition of service bill”; “CONLESS is not tied to 2018 budget”; “Give us our CONLESS”; “Bank loans are killing”; “No alert no sitting”; “Stop Omolori now before he stops Nigeria democracy”, “Omolori must go”; “We are not slaves”.

    When Saraki succeeded in paving his way to address the protesting workers, he assured them that the National Assembly leadership would meet management to resolve issues at stake.

    Saraki also assured that the two chambers would take steps to fast-track the passage of the Condition of Service for National Assembly bill.

    The Senate President pleaded with the workers to call off their protest as their demands would be met.

    Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan said the protest was not against the leadership of the National Assembly but against the management.

    Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara have directed the National Assembly Management Committee to resolve the issues raised by the protesting members of staff and report back to them by Friday.

    A statement issued in Abuja by  Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said at a meeting attended by the National Assembly’s Management and members of staff under the umbrella of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Saraki and the Speaker stated that it was important for the workers to be well-motivated and their demands properly addressed to create a conducive atmosphere for the legislature to perform its duties.

    The Senate President and Speaker noted that the demands of the workers are part of the responsibilities of the National Assembly’s Management and that the grievances of the workers should not be allowed to linger.

  • Adamawa and non-payment of retirees’ gratuities

    SIR:It is worrisome that gratuities of Adamawa State civil servants, who retired after putting  in 35years in service are no longer being paid as at when due. It is now more than 10 years that gratuities were paid last leading to the accumulation more than N20 billion arrears. It was only during the administration of former governor Boni Haruna that gratuities were paid to retiring civil servants with certain amount usually given to the state pension board to offset the gratuities of retiring civil servants.

    But, from the administration of former governor Murtala Nyako to the present administration of Governor Mohammed Bindow Umaru Jibrilla, not a dime has been given to the pension board for the gratuities to be paid.

    The disturbing aspect is how the bill is being accumulated and yet, the government is not doing anything to offset it and yet more people are still retiring. It is imperative for the present administration to start paying the accumulated bill of those who have retired from the service in order for them to start life afresh. This can be done by giving the pension board N500million every month to clear the huge bill staring the government in the face.

    If nothing is done to offset the huge bill of gratuities owe by the retirees of Adamawa State, it would lead to catastrophe as incoming administrations will face a big problem in trying to offset the liability.

    Although bailouts were given to the states on more than three occasions, but in Adamawa State nothing was done to offset the retirees liabilities; not even a dime was given to the pension board to pay.

    It is pathetic and sad that a person would spend his entire life in public service with a hope, that at the end, he would get all his entitlements so as to open another vista of life, only to end up with no hope of getting his or her entitlements during his lifetime.

    The government need to be proactive in seeing that retirees are paid their entitlements like their gratuities and monthly pension on time.

    In fact, what is happening in Adamawa State is enslavement of those who meritoriously worked for the state. It is baffling for someone who retired for five years and he or she is yet to collect any gratuity to enable him or her to carry on with life by engaging in a profitable venture to keep body and soul together.

    This denial is making those still in service to be having a rethink in public service as things are daily going down and with no hope.

     

    • Usman Santuraki,

    Jambutu, Jimeta-Yola.

     

  • Electricity pensioners protest non-payment of 33% increase

    The Coordinator of Concerned Group of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Electricity Sector, Comrade Timothy Akintola, has urged the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to pay their members 33 per cent pension increase.

    Akintola spoke during the group’s protest at PTAD Liaison Office in Lagos to present its letter to PTAD management.

    The activist said the 33 per cent pension increase is a constitutional issue that should not be withheld or altered to the disadvantage of any pensioner.

    He said: “The NUP’s electricity sector pensioners have not been paid their 33 per cent since 2010. This is not fair as ministries and corporations have been paid. They are collecting their emoluments monthly.

    “All we are asking for is for PTAD to start the implementation of the 33 per cent of the pension increase for our members.”

    Akintola said the arrears from 2010 should be computed and paid to members, adding that it would alleviate their suffering.

    Chief Ebenezer Jebutu, a member of NUP’s Electricity Sector’s National Trustee Caretaker Committee, said the committee supported that 33 per cent of pension increase and arrears be paid to them.

    He said the committee knew that there were crises in the union, adding that this should not deny the concerned groups their pension rights.

    Mr. Kolawole Lateef, the Secretary of NUP’s Electricity sector in Ijora chapter, said they wanted their 33 per cent to be paid in full as had been paid to other ministries and corporations.

    He said their members had been captured by PTAD, adding that there should be no further delay in the payment of their pension.

    Prince Moses Adewale, a member of Lagos Island chapter of NUP’s Electricity sector, said most of their members had died while waiting to be paid the pension increase.

    He said the 33 per cent was their right and should be implemented so that they would enjoy the labour they had put in for years.

    Mrs. Funmilayo Onafowokan, the Director at PTAD Pension Support Services Department in the Lagos Liaison Office, met with the concerned group officials.

    The PTED official said the agency had discussed and resolved the issues.

    She said: “We have been in a meeting for the past one and a half hours. The complaints were brought to the table and PTAD has responded to them. The pensioners’ grievances will be attended to.”

  • Ex-PHCN staff protest non payment of N300m severance benefits

    Ex-PHCN staff protest non payment of N300m severance benefits

    Scores of former staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) yesterday protested over non payment of their severance benefits by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

    The ex-staff put the number of affected persons from Kwara state alone at about 100 and calimed that that amounted to over N300 million.

    Spokesperson of the protesting former PHCN staff, Eniola Folorunsho said that since they had been laid off in December 31st, 2013 they are yet to receive a dime.

    He conceded though, that some of their ex-colleagues had been paid their allowances, adding that Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) had invited invited them for verification and screening twice in Bein and Ibadan, Edo and Oyo states.

    The spokesperson urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to intervene.

    Mr. Folorunsho added that “our names were published in a national daily last by the BPE for subsequent payment. In February this year, we also received SMS from the BPE that our packages would soon be paid. Up till nothing has been paid. We received two letters on the same benefit January 2014 and December 2016 notifying us of the payment.”

    The 2016 letter signed by Acting Director General, BPE, Dr Vincent Akpotaire reads: “This is to convey a payment advice for your entitlements, herewith attached, that constitute the total benefits for your services to NEPA/PHCN which has been privatised pursuant to the Electric Power Sector Reform pf the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    ‘The components (pensions, gratuity, severance), etc has taken cognisance of the negotiations between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the PHCN, Labour Unions. Specifically, it recognises your condition of service, industry standards, pension laws and relevant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “In the absence of any error, you are kindly requested to endorse the statement and return to BPE not later than a week from the receipt of the statement. Where any errors are noticed. Your feedback should be indicated in the attached copy to advice with necessary supporting documents to support your claims. Only valid claims would be entertained.”

  • NAICOM to sack insurance CEOs, brokers for non-payment of claims

    NAICOM to sack insurance CEOs, brokers for non-payment of claims

    The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) will remove the chief executive of any insurance and broking firm who fails to pay genuine claims, the Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari, has said.

    He gave the warning at the  Professional Forum of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) held in Abeokuta,  the Ogun State capital.

    Kari listed other issues for which CEOs could be sanctioned to include their companies’ inability or refusal to settle inter-company balances.

    These, according to him, have risen to an unacceptable level where the commission is required to withdraw the self-regulation option given operators to apply the big stick.

    He said the commission was alarmed by the incessant complaints of failure of insurance companies to settle genuine and discharged claims to policy holders.

    He said the commission had  received requests from claimants to apply the companies’ statutory deposit to settle discharged claims as stated by law, and that the process had started.

    Kari said: “And as a punitive measure, we have agreed to also publicise any company whose deposit is so applied and to have the chief executive of such company discharged.

    ‘’For all intermediaries who are brokers and insurance agents that hold back clients’ and companies’ money or collude to steal or corruptly operate, such actions being criminal, would be forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.’’

    He said the commission’s visit and meeting with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would enable them to establish a joint taskforce to, among other things, ensure corruption is weeded out of the insurance sector.

    CIIN President Mrs. Funmi Babington-Ashaye, while speaking on the theme of the forum, “Solvency, stability and growth-exploring possibilities,”  chosen to draw attention to some of the critical challenges facing the industry, said they could evolve strategic solutions for the industry.

  • Ex-council officials protest non-payment of allowances

    Former elected and appointed local government officials, yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, protested non-payment of their severance allowances.

    The demonstrators, under the auspices of Forum of Former Local Government Political Appointees, who chanted solidarity songs and carried placards, began their protest from Yenagoa Local Government secretariat to the Government House in Onopa.

    Those who participated in the march were ex-council chairmen, former deputy chairmen, ex-political secretaries, special advisers, supervisory councillors, special assistants and senior special assistants.

    They served the councils during the administration of Governor Seriake Dickson from March 2013 to April 2016.

    Some of the placards read: “Restoration Government, Pay Us Our Benefits”, “Pay Our Severance Allowance”, “Our Severance, Our Right”, “We Are Restoration Family Members, Pay Our Money”, Arrest Us, Pay Our Benefits”, “It Is Our Right, Pay Our Money”, among others.

    The exercise was monitored at the Government House gate by six patrol vans of policemen and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

    The forum Chairman, Mr. Ezeke Joseph Joshua, demanded payment of their statutory benefits.

    He said their intention was not to cause violence, but to narrate their ordeal.

    Joshua, who served as a political secretary at Ogbia, said the attitude of Local Government Administration Commissioner Mrs. Agatha Goma forced them to embark on the protest.

    He alleged that she frustrated them by refusing to listen to them, saying their letters to her office yielded no result.

    Joshua said they would continue until the government paid their entitlements.

    Said he: “We have come to tell the governor that our money should be paid us. It is our entitlement. A father cannot choose to favour one son and disfavour the other.

     “Councillors were supposed to be part of it (the non-payment). They were singled out and paid their money, the money meant to be paid to every person here. Our own has not been paid us.

    “We have come to register our position that our money should be paid us. We have not come here for violence; we have come to protest peacefully, to register our plight. You can see we didn’t fight anybody.

    “We have come to tell the government that we are really in pains. Our money should be paid. We want the government to listen to us and pay us our money.”

    The forum’s Legal Adviser, Mr. Maweya Agbafor, who was the Yenagoa Council political secretary, asked the government to pay them the way it paid former councillors.

    “We went to the commissioner’s office and she told us that councillors protested and were arrested. And in order to pacify them, they (government) started paying the councillors. So, we are here so that the uniformed men can arrest us, so that we can also be paid.”

    Although no government official addressed the protesters, a security operative in mufti, who identified himself as Mr. Attah, a superintendent of police, appealed to them to vacate the gate after making their point.

    He said: “I think your aim has been achieved. What do you want again? We don’t want anybody to become confrontational. Get your people, at least two or three, and go and meet the person concerned. Not everybody like this.”

  • Judge refuses to hear Evans’ case over non-payment of fine

    A judge yesterday declined to hear suspected kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans’ 300million rights case because of his lawyer’s failure to pay a N20,000 cost.

    Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court Lagos, adjourned the case till July 27 to enable Evans’ lawyer Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje comply with the order.

    Justice Abdulaziz Anka, who awarded the cost against Ogungbeje on July 13, said the lawyer would not be granted audience until he paid the fine.

    Evans is asking for N300million damages in the fundamental rights enforcement case he filed against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

    At the remand hearing of the case yesterday, counsel for the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Effiong Asuquo, said Ogungbeje gave him a N20,000 post-dated cheque.

    He said he rejected it since that was not the court order.

    Justice Obiozor agreed with Asuquo and directed Ogungbeje to comply with the order.

    The judge also directed Ogungbeje to ensure service of his suit on the IGP in Abuja.

    In his fundamental rights enforcement suit, Evans, through Ogungbeje, is seeking a court order directing the police to charge him to court immediately or release him on bail.

    Ogungbeje argued that Evans’ detention since June 10, 2017 without being charged to court was a violation of his client’s fundamental rights enshrined in Sections 35 (1) (c) (3) (4) (5) (a) (b) and 36 of the Constitution.

  • Osun retirees protest non-payment of arrears

    Osun retirees protest non-payment of arrears

    •Another group lauds govt’s transparency

    Some retirees in Osun State yesterday took to the streets of Osogbo, the state capital, to protest the non- payment of their pension arrears.

    Their protests came on the heels of an announcement by the government on the receipt of N6.3 billion Paris Club Refund. The protesters operated under the aegis of the 2011/2012 Pensioners Forum.

    The pensioners, who staged a peaceful protest to the state secretariat on Gbongan Road, accused Governor Rauf Aregbesola of deliberate refusal to pay their entitlements.

    The protesters denied many civil servants and other top officials access to government offices yesterday.

    Chanting anti-government songs and displaying placards with various inscriptions, the pensioner said they would monitor the release of the second tranche of the Paris Club refund and ensure payment of their pension arrears.

    The disrupted movement from the Owode end of Gbongan-Ibadan Expressway.

    Speaking through the chairman of the 2011/2012 Forum of Pensioners in Osun State, Omoniyi Ilesanmi said: “We are the people who worked diligently after the creation of Osun State. Aregbesola should use the N6.3 billion Paris loan refund he just got to pay us our pension’s allowance, otherwise he would find this state ungovernable.”

    Also yesterday, members of the the Triangular Group of Pensioners in the Osun said they have been vindicated with the release of the second tranche of the Paris Club loans refunds on Monday to the states.

    The group’s chairman, Prince Rotimi Adelugba, in a statement, commended the Osun State government for promptly informing the public on the receipt of the refund.

    According to him, his group’s earlier stance was that “the protest by some few pensioners in the state on the payment of pension arrears with the Paris Club refund was another political stunt meant to portray the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as bad in the estimation of the public as the state approached the Osun West Senatorial District Election on July 8 had been justified with the latest development.”

    According to the group, dialogue remained the best way to push pensioners’ demand and not through fabricated lies and protests which it alleged, “are being sponsored by the opposition.”

    Adelugba stressed that group’s defence of the government on the receipt of Paris Club Fund as at then, was based on the information at the its disposal, insisting that the refund, as at then, had not yet been received.

    He said: “We have stated earlier before now that it is inhuman, disheartening and uncivilised to note that despite all efforts put in place and the assurance capable of giving hope to retirees, they embarked on character assassination and lies.

    “Is it not now clear to the whole world that the claims by the Omoniyi Ilesanmi-led pensioners that the second tranche of the Paris Club fund have been diverted as at then was untrue, misleading and uncalled for when the fund has not been released.ý

    “We wondered where Mr. Ilesanmi and his people got their own information from if it was not that they were motivated by the opposition, not minding the consequences. Is it not now so clear that there was nothing like the release of the second tranche two months ago as they claimed?

    “The governor had said it several times that the salary and pension’s arrears would be paid as soon as fund is available. The government just demonstrated its sincerity to the welfare of the people when it announced that it has gotten the second tranche of the refund and we commend Aregbesola for this sincerity.”