NUP hails Kano, Niger, Jigawa governors for pensioner-friendly governance

•.Re-elects Mazi Abumisi as National President

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) has re-elected Comrade Mazi Godwin Abumisi as its National President after the successful completion of his first tenure. Abumisi, who was first elected in 2021, will continue to lead the union in its pursuit of improved welfare for pensioners nationwide.

Other executive members elected to serve alongside Abumisi include Chief Abdulahi Onu as Deputy President, Deacon Jokanola Adejare as Treasurer, and Magaji Dogo as Auditor. Additionally, seven National Vice Presidents and ten National Trustees were also elected.

The election took place at the 12th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference (NDC) of the NUP, held in Kano with the strong support of the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf. The conference was graced by high-level dignitaries including Governor Yusuf: represented by his deputy, as well as Governor of Niger State, Hon. (Dr.) Mohammed Umaru Bago; Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar A. Namadi; and representatives from the Plateau and Osun State governments.

Yusuf was inducted as the NUP’s Grand Patron and, along with other governors, was honored with the Pensioners’ Friendly Awards.

Speaking at the NDC, Comrade Abumisi offered a strong endorsement of the state governors for their exceptional support towards pensioners, urging union members to reciprocate their gestures by supporting the re-election of the governors in the next electoral cycle.

He praised Governor Abba Yusuf, describing him as a “God-sent leader” and a “pensioner-friendly and God-fearing governor.”

“Under your leadership, our pensioners are in a new haven,” Abumisi declared, noting that Governor Yusuf had cleared N16 billion in accumulated pension and gratuity arrears in less than two years in office. The governor was also commended for ensuring that no pensioner in Kano earns less than N20,000 monthly and for promptly approving all circulars from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission regarding pensions.

“For someone who has done this much for us, what else do we do to show our eternal appreciation to him rather than to urge our members in Kano to reciprocate this gesture in 2027? He deserves another term,” Abumisi proclaimed to thunderous applause.

Similarly, the NUP President commended the Governor of Niger State, Hon. (Dr.) Mohammed Umaru Bago, for what he described as a “revolutionary approach” to pension welfare. Abumisi recounted that Governor Bago paid over N20 billion in outstanding gratuities and pensions for both state and local government retirees, regularly distributed food palliatives, and recently donated a fully air-conditioned Hummer bus to the Union. In recognition of these efforts, he was conferred with the prestigious “Most Pensioner-Friendly Governor of the Year 2024” award.

“Our pensioners in Niger State today are proud to be called Bago pensioners,” Abumisi said, urging all pensioners in Niger State to “unambiguously support” Governor Bago’s second term bid.

Jigawa State also received commendations for maintaining a robust contributory pension scheme under the leadership of Governor Malam Umar A. Namadi, FCA. The governor was acknowledged for releasing N7.5 billion to sustain the scheme and ensuring pensions are paid promptly, on or before the 15th of every month. Abumisi noted that this level of commitment is unprecedented and deserving of reward.

“We have declared our full support for Governor Namadi’s second term,” he said. “His government is, indeed, a pensioners’ government.”

The NUP President didn’t stop there. He extended commendations to the governors of Ondo, Lagos, Gombe, Katsina, Imo, and Plateau States for what he described as “meaningful efforts” to improve the lives of pensioners in their domains, even within tight fiscal spaces.

Abumisi used the occasion to reiterate the Union’s gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving a N758 billion bond to offset the backlog of unpaid accrued rights under the Contributory Pension Scheme and for issuing circulars on the new pension minimum of N32,000. However, he urged the President to provide additional funding to the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to enable immediate and full implementation, especially for the payment of 10 months of outstanding arrears.

He made a passionate appeal on behalf of the neglected pensioners of the defunct Nigeria Airways, who he said have been abandoned since the airline’s liquidation in 2004. He reminded the government of the remaining N36 billion in unpaid entitlements and called on President Tinubu to intervene and order the Ministry of Finance to release funds for disbursement through the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA).

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