Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare
Retirees of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), have made an appeal to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to comply with the Supreme Court judgment which authorised the payment of their pension and gratuity to the tune of about N108 billion.
The retirees, who bowed out of service in 1991, urged the minister to save their souls as they were currently living in abject poverty, untold hardship and rising figure of death of their members who lack funds to manage their health condition.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, their chairman, Engr C. O. Shotunde, stated that the Supreme Court judgment in a suit delineated SC/190/2003 dated May 11, 2007, had affirmed the decision of the Lagos State High Court in suit LD/1827/92, that the plaintiff who served the NPA up to five years, was entitled to the gratuity of one-year total emoluments.
“The Supreme Court judgment also held that the plaintiff who served above 10 years is entitled to pension and redundancy benefit under the Pension Act 1990.
“Despite getting the landmark judgment from the apex court, the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service and the Attorney-General before Malami, have failed to comply with the judgment and paid their benefits.
“Some cabinet members of the NPA, who see themselves above the law are also truncating the final decision of the apex court and have made it difficult for us to get our benefits after serving meritoriously,” the chairman said.
Shotunde further said that the NPA’s consistent claim of compliance with the Supreme Court Judgment is full of contradictions and deceit.
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