The House of Representatives Committee on Pensions has threatened to approve zero allocation to pensioners of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

It added that others in the nation’s federal universities would get the same treatment unless their officials appeared before it to defend their budgets.

Rep Rasak Adewusi, Chainnan of the committee, issued the threat in Abuja on Wednesday when he rejected the delegation that came to defend the budget by NUC’s Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie.

Adewusi said it was awkward for NUC and Vice Chancellors to leave their fate in the hands of the Budget Office without having any input into their pension budget before the parliament.

He told the delegation that the parliament in 2010 had to use its initiatives to increase the N5billion budget by the executive to N15 billion to make it possible for the commission to settle its retirees.

Adewusi added that the committee, in its bid to compel the NUC and the vice chancellors to appear before it to present their budget performance in 20 10, had to place embargo on the release of the balance of the pension funds by the Budget Office.

The chairman decried the attitude of the officials. “I am afraid, if we don’t see these people to defend their budget, the committee would give them zero allocation in the 2011 fiscal year.

“If the executive secretary of the NUC refused to appear before the committee, none of his officials should bother to come here next week,” he warned.

The committee rejected the explanation offered by the NUC’s Pension Desk Officer, Joy Isiguzo, that the commission had no business in the preparation of its pension budget and that of the universities.

She said it was prepared annually by the Budget Office.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Adeseyi Sijuwade, during his budget defense, urged the committee to assist the corporation in the implementation of the 53 per cent pension increase.

The increment, amounting to N1.7 billion, was approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) in 2010.

Sijuwade, who was represented by Bayo Okusanya, Assistant Director, Pension, urged the committee to assist in ensuring the payment of N862million accumulated six months arrears of the 53 per cent pension increase covering July to December, 2010 .

The NRC chief also told the lawmakers that he was facing the challenge of settling 87 months monetisation pension arrears of N4.3billion covering October 2003 to December 2010.

Sijuwade pleaded with the committee to assist in the harmonisation of the corporation’s two pension schemes with a combined budget of N10.6 billion in 2011.