Pensioners Commend RSG For Prompt Payment

The state leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has commended the state government for its prompt monthly pension payment to pensioners.

The commendation was made by the state Chairman of the union, Comrade Edward Festus-Abibo, during the Union South-South Zonal meeting held at the Ministry of Justice, conference hall, state secretariat, Port Harcourt.

The union chairman said “the Rivers State Government is not owing monthly pension to its pensioners except that of primary school teachers with federal share of monthly pensions” stressing that since 2003 till date the pensions increases of 2003 and 2007 are yet to be paid to Rivers pensioners by the Federal share of pensions.

Comrade Abibo emphasized that the 2011 Biometric Re-validation exercise was successful, despite the initial difficulties of shortage of computers, personnel and materials.

He stated that the union did everything to overcome all the problems, adding  the union single handedly financed all the expenses from day one of the Biometric revalidation exercise to the last day.

He stressed that 99 percent of pensioners in the state were verified and captured without loss of life throughout the period of the revalidation exercise.

On the issue of payment of federal pensions to Rivers pensioners, with federal share, the chairman lamented the slow pace in the payment process and called for significant improvement.

Comrade Abibo added that majority of Rivers pensioners with federal share are not fully and regularly paid their monthly pensions, while others are yet to be pay-rolled after many years of retirement, noting that the union gets report of short payment of various degrees, non payment of gratuities, arrears of monthly pension and omission of different dimension despite repeated efforts by the union leadership to stamp out all irregularities.

The state chairman, noted that in Nov/Dec 2011 the Abuja authorities made some payments of pension arrears, gratuities to pensioners throughout the country known as Batch 16/17 through the Zenith Bank to the beneficiaries, stressing that batch 16 payment schedule list was made available to the union secretariat for confirmation but surprisingly batch 17 list was not made available to the union for confirmation.

He called upon the Abuja authorities to release batch 17 list of pension arrears, gratuities to be paid to the suffering pensioners, including other subsequent batches.

Comrade Abibo reiterated that the South-South zonal meeting being the first meeting will formulate a comprehensive plan of action and ideas to chart the numerous problems facing pensioners in the zone.

Earlier, the State Director of Pensions, Mr. T.G. Douglas praised the union leadership for their un-diluted services and cooperation during the last verification exercise carried out in the state.

The Director Pension added that the next verification exercise would commence from the 6th February 2012 in the state, noting that the exercise is aim at assisting the state government concentrate on the payment of retirement benefits to only genuine and living retirees.

Philip Okparaji