The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, has called on the governors in the South West zone of the country to immediately implement the consequential adjustment and the 35 per cent increment in pensions for retirees to reduce their suffering.
NUP also begged the incoming government of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to create a ministry that will be saddled solely with the responsibility of addressing the plights of retirees in the country.
The South-West zone of NUP made the demands after its quarterly meeting on Sunday, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The meeting was attended by chairmen and secretaries of NUP from Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Lagos and Ekiti states.
According to Olusegun Abatan, the Zonal Public Relations Officer of NUP in the zone, while speaking after the meeting, said the creation of the ministry would turn the fortunes of pensioners around in the country.
Abatan called on Tinubu to do more for pensioners when he assume office as president, saying “President Muhammadu Buhari has done quite a lot for pensioners. He really helped them and so we are appealing to Tinubu to please give the matter of pensioners’ serious attention.
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“We want a separate ministry that will be solely addressing matters that have to do with pensioners under the administration of Tinubu.”
Abatan alleged that governors of South-West states owed pensioners in the zone huge sums as gratuities and pensions.
He urged all the governors in the zone to implement the consequential adjustment and the 35 per cent increment in pensions without further delay.
Abatan particularly cited Ogun, Ekiti and Osun states where he claimed that the gratuities of pensioners were paid last in 2012, lamenting that,
“They owe arrears of pensions, gratuities and other entitlements, including gratuities and entitlements to the next of kin of some deceased pensioners. We want to appeal to our governors to step up their interests in the affairs of pensioners.”
