Harmonise our pension, paramilitary pensioners beg FG

THE paramilitary pensioners of Customs, Immigration and Prisons Services in Ogun State have appealed to Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to harmonise their pensions based on Consolidated Paramilitary Salary Structure (CONPASS) and Harmonised Paramilitary Salary Structure (HAPASS) from 2013/2007 till date.

The pensioners said that the federal government had good intentions about its policies and directives, but for the implementors, such policies and directives are not favourable to them.

Addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, on Tuesday, the State Chairman of the paramilitary pensioners, Evangelist Adekunle Adesanya, had failed to harmonise their pensions on subsequent salary structures, saying they need a living wage to meet their daily needs.

They asked that their pensions must correspondent in tandem with those still in service anytime there are increases in salaries.

The pensioners armed with placards with inscriptions such as “PTAD where is the money appropriated to pay our entitlements of CONPASS?”, “Please, Minister of Interior and Finance see to our yearnings, grievances. We are suffering,” “PTAD please pay us our personal servant allowance”, “Pension Transition Arrangement Department, harmonise our pension on CONPASS 2002.”

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Adesanya who retired as a Deputy Controller of Prisons also appealed that there personal servants allowances must be incorporated into their monthly pensions to entitled officers on Grade level 08 and above.

Other demands were,” That we must be paid 1 per cent increase across the board with effect from April 1st, 2011 as a result of the adjustment on the National minimum wage.

“That on harmonising our pension on 2007 Consolidated Regime, the difference in an upward review of pensions (33%) arrears earlier paid ought to attract differentials as arrears.”