Unpaid pension fund: Ogun retirees future, bleak ―NLC

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ogun State Council, on Wednesday, declared that the future of retirees in the state is bleak, over alleged failure of government to remit 84 months Contributory Pension deductions.

This was stated by the State NLC chairman, Comrade Akeem Ambali, during a courtesy call on the members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Abeokuta.

Ambali submitted that the state is the “largest debtor” as regards the Contributory Pension Deduction while it is owing workers’ 15 months global deductions.

He said, “As at today Ogun state is still owing the workers over 84 months Contributing Deductions that suppose to have been remitted to various Pension Fund Administrators.

” This speaks volume because the retiring future of the Ogun State workers is doomed without appropriate and correct remittance of these funds to PFA.

“We are disturbed about this because Ogun State happens to be the biggest debtor when it comes to the issue of Contributing Pension Deduction.

“Again, we are also agitated because as at today Ogun State government is owing 15months Global deductions and by the end of June it will come to 16months.”

The labour leader accompanied by other members of his executives urged the state government to expend the Paris Club Refund released by the Federal Government to the states to offset the outstanding deductions.

“We are hearing news that Paris fund will soon be released, we want to reach the government and opinion leaders in the State that they should join hands with Labour and prevail on the Ogun State government to ensure full remittance of each deduction to appropriate quarters so that workers in Ogun State will live a comfortable life and they will be happy and this will also impact positively on the economy of the Ogun State because Ogun majorly is civil servant,” he added.

Ambali urged all residents of the state to partcipate actively in the ongoing Continuous Voters registration.

“They have commenced voters registration, the leadership of NLC want to use this opportunity to direct all the workers, those who are in active service, retirees, pensioners and their family members to see the ongoing voters and to register.

“Let us register, our power is our vote, we want to speak in 2019 as a labour movement, we cannot be waiting in the corner of your room and be lamenting.

“We want to key into process of good governance so that we will be one of the major stakeholders that will contribute positively towards emergence of people driven, people centred government come 2019,” he added.

However, the State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Adewale Oshinowo, could not be reached at the time of filing this report for reaction.