Pensioners lament non-payment of pensions, gratuities

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8 years ago

PENSIONERS under the auspices of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) have lamented the hardship faced by members over non payment of their pensions and gratuities.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Pensioners House, in Akure, Ondo State capital, the National President of NUP, Dr Abel Afolayan, stated that pensioners had witnessed untold hardship following the refusal of the federal and state governments to pay pensioners as at when due.

Afolayan identified the introduction of e-payment as one of the challenges facing the pensioners, noting that the system was introduced by the government to deliberately sideline some of the pensioners on the pretence that they are ghost pensioners.

He also lamented the corruption in the system, saying “both the state and Federal Government are owing pensioners trillions of naira in respect of accumulated arrears of pension and gratuity, as a result of embezzlement of funds voted for the payment of pensioners.

“Penalty which supposed to serve as deterrent to culprit only serves as encouragement to steal with impunity. There is need to review the penal code that will effectively stamp out corruption in Nigeria’s system.”

The NUP chairman drew the attention of government to the loss of lives of pensioners during the last verification exercise across the country and called on government to give priority to prompt payment of workers and pensioners to avoid untimely death of pensioners.

“There are many pensioners who were bio-metrically verified, captured and enrolled between June and July 2010 and were issued dud cheques which they could not cash till today.”

He added that “We are in constant touch and dialogue with the National Assembly especially the House Committee on Pension with a view to ensure compliance with the constitutional provision on review of pension, harmonisation and speedy payment of the balance of 18months arrears of 33 per cent pension increase.”

The state Chairman of NUP, Chief Raphael Adetuwo, also lamented that pensioners in the state had experience untold hardship, condemning the non payment of five months pension by the Ondo State government.