Retirees protest non-payment of pension increment

Scores of retired senior citizens between the ages of 60 and 90 years besieged the National Assembly on Thursday to protest the non-payment of the 54. 3 per cent increment in their pension which was approved four years ago by the Federal Government.

Armed with placards containing various inscriptions, the senior citizens created a scene which forced security operatives manning the main gate and prevented members of staff and visitors from going in and coming out of the premises.

The development nearly degenerated into a crisis situation as the pensioners attempted to force their way through but the situation was brought under control when the Senate President, David Mark, represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petition, Patrick Ayo Akinyelure; Senators Kabir Marafa and Gbenga Ashafa, pleaded with the protesters that the leadership of the Senate would look into the matter immediately they return from recess.

They told the pensioners that all stakeholders would be summoned to look into the matter with a view to addressing the situation.

The lawmakers, however, frowned on the road block mounted by the protesters, saying it would not solve the problem. They urged the pensioners to be patient while the matter would be address soon.

However, Deputy National President of the NUP, Dr. Musa Ayuba, in the letter, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent, lamented that military pensioners and permanent secretaries were already enjoying the increment.

He said, “There is an unambiguous, constitutional stipulation that pensions should be reviewed every five years or anytime workers wages are reviewed whichever is earlier. To our utter dismay and to our total disadvantage, this provision of the constitution which gives solace to the suffering Nigerian civilian pensioners has never been adhered to by the federal and state governments at the appropriate time.”

He alleged that the “high-powered committee” set up by President Goodluck Jonathan and led by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim, had failed to resolve the grievances of the civilian pensioners.

He said the union’s meeting with the Minister of Labour and Productivity also yielded no fruit.

Ayuba said, “When we heard that the military pensioners were paid 33 per cent increase in pension, it was our genuine expectation that it would be our turn to be paid similar increases. Our expectation has, so far, been futile. Now the military pensioners are legitimately asking for the full 53.4 per cent increase due to them and by extension also due to us civilian pensioners.

“We need to explain that the 33 per cent increase is not what is normally due to pensioners. What should be paid to us is 53.4 per cent.”

He further lamented that eventhough members of the union belong to the pre-2004 Pension Reform Act, the government had continued to deduct 20 per cent from the 53.4 per cent due the pensioners thereby bringing the amount due to 33 per cent.

He said, “All we are saying now, is that the Federal Government should implement the full 53.4 per cent to all the civil pensioners that constitute the membership of our union and who belong to the old (pre-2004 Pension Reform Act) scheme without any further delay.

“We have to express our disappointment and disillusionment about the failed promise of the government to capture the implementation and arrears of 33 per cent (53.4 per cent) increase in the 2014 budget of the Federal Government.”

The union urged the National Assembly committee on pensions to prevail on the Executive for a supplementary budget to pay the 53.4 per cent increase due the pensioners.