THE Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) has refuted a recent claim by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) that it is the only legally constituted and recognised pensioners’ union in the country.
FEPPPAN, in a statement jointly signed by it acting President-General, Alhaji Babaji Magaji and General Secretary, Franklin Erinle and made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday, said, “The clarification had become necessary to correct some ‘deliberate misinformation’ by NUP in a quest to be part of the National Minimum Wage Review Committee for Workers.”
According to FEPPPAN, the assertion that NUP was the only legally recognised body and voice of the entire civil and paramilitary pensioners in Nigeria was dishonest, mischievous and an attempt to discredit the act of the Federal Government in the regrouping of the old Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP).
The union further said the Federal Government gave autonomy to pensioners of federal parastatals, private sector and those under the new contributory pension scheme in a regrouping exercise carried out by the Minister of Labour and Employment, in line with the provision in Section 3(2) of the Trade Unions Act CapT14 of 2004 as amended, haven seen the heavy workload on the NUP.
It said, “The outcome of the regrouping exercise was the creation of Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN), Contributory Pensioners Union of Nigeria (CPUN) and the new Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP).
“The NUP chose to fight government over the approval and registration of the two additional unions for the Nigerian pensioners, who have different jurisdictional scopes. At the end of the two cases instituted by the NUP, which were lost, the Registrar of Trade Unions issued Certificates of Registration to the two additional unions in March 2020.”
This was good news for Nigerian pensioners but not for the oppressive and manipulative NUP.
“How then did the NUP come to making the unfortunate claim of being the only legally recognised body and voice of the entire civil and paramilitary pensioners in Nigeria? We wish to also state that both FEPPPAN and the NUP are affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Even the NLC cannot but disagree with the misinformation of the NUP in this matter.
“This year marks the 46th year of the existence of the NUP. We would want its leaders to answer the following questions: In how many of those years has it joined the congress in negotiating minimum wage for workers? Why has it suddenly woken up from its slumber? If the NLC did not include pensioners’ representative in the committee, is that to be blamed on the government?
“Rather than working with FEPPPAN, it is apparent to us that the NUP was challenged by our registration. In its present quest to be part of the committee on wage review, the NUP only brought to public view what FEPPPAN has been handling privately with head of congress because this is an intra-congress affair.
“The registration of FEPPPAN should have strengthened the position of pensioners in Nigeria if the NUP had accepted to work with the two additional unions under the NLC rather than trying to abandon or discredit the Nigeria Labour Congress. Inclusion of pensioners in the team is the function of the labour centres rather than government’s.
“It is surprising that the NUP continues to have sleepless nights over an issue that was settled almost four years ago, that is, the regrouping of parastatals and private sector pensioners nationwide, consequent upon disenchantment of this group of pensioners whilst they were still under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP). What the NUP has embarked upon with this frivolous advertorial dated February 8, 2024, is to rewrite history which FEPPPAN has now become.
“FEPPPAN will continue to address issues in the most matured ways as senior citizens, both with government and the labour centres.”
and then