Some retirees in Ekiti State have formed a new group called the Pensioners Association of Nigeria (PAN), citing alleged irregularities and constitutional breaches by certain officials of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP).
The aggrieved pensioners, drawn from ten local government areas across the state, alleged mismanagement of over N41 million of union funds and other improprieties by the current caretaker administration.
The Ekiti State chapter of the NUP has been mired in crisis following an inconclusive election in 2024, which resulted in the removal of Joel Akinola as chairman and the appointment of Popoola Adetona as caretaker chairman.
This development heightened tensions within the union, prompting some dissatisfied members from ten local governments, parastatals, and agencies to form a parallel group under the name Pensioners Association of Nigeria (PAN).
The new body, led by former NUP chairman Joel Akinola, was officially launched in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Speaking with journalists, Akinola explained that the breakaway was a result of multiple irregularities, including the alleged mismanagement of over N41 million in union funds and what he described as an open display of abuse of power and greed by the caretaker committee.
According to him, “We left NUP over forceful imposition of Caretaker Committee members on Ekiti State Pensioners, lack of concern by the Caretaker Committee for the welfare of the suffering Ekiti Pensioners, frivolous spending of the union’s funds on unnecessary journeys to various States and Abuja at will.
“Tarnishing the integrity of Ekiti State Pensioners by sponsoring damaging messages and programs on radios and other social media, illegal promotion of the State Secretary to Level 15 within a spate of three months while receiving pension and bogus allowances, converting NUP to be business venture of the State Secretary’s family.
“Disrespect to Constitutional Authorities in-charge of Pensions and Labour matters in Ekiti State, irregular appointment of Popoola’s daughter to the NUP as a staff, unconstitutional recruitment of SAC members without recourse to the authority of the Union at State level.
“Conversion of Union’s official vehicles to engage in personal business ventures, using the security agents to harass and intimidate pensioners, creating unnecessary divisions among Pensioners.
“In view of these irregularities, Constitutional breaches, and their refusal to listen to experienced meditators in pension and labour matters, we cannot fold our arms and allow our members who have been enjoying the benevolence of the state government to continue to suffer untold hardship.”
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However, in response, the State Secretary of NUP, Oni Agbaje, denied all the allegations raised by the breakaway group, stating that the national headquarters of the union would soon take disciplinary action against them.
Agbaje said, “If you have been following our activities for the past one year, those people are dissidents. Dissidents in the sense that we dissolve our exco every four years, and new members will be elected.
“Those people talking were part of the defunct exco. After the four years, they will account for their stewardship, these people failed woefully at the delegates conference. The delegate conference did not accept the financial report they brought, then there was an investigative panel of enquiry set up to look into their financial activities.
“The only union we have is the NUP, they are running a parallel administration, and you will see the consequences very soon.
“In the ethics of our union, it is a brazen violation of the constitution for anybody to be running a parallel administration. The National Headquarters will reel out the sanction in due course.”
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