Protesters Distrupt Services In Awka

Activities at the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Awka office, were last Monday disrupted following a protest by retirees of the organisation over the non-payment of their 43 months pension arrears.

The Tide reports that the protesters, numbering more than 100, arrived at the office at about 7 am to carry out the demonstration.

The protest, as we gathered, caused panic among NIPOST staff and subsequently, led to closure of work for the day. The leader of the group and former Head Postmaster of NIPOST in Awka, who retired in 1999, Mr Bernard Nze, explained that their current predicament and failure of NIPOST to pay them led to the protest. Nze said: “We are owed 43 months pension arrears.

“Few days ago, our union held a meeting with the Postmaster-General where he promised to pay two months out of 14 months pension of arrears he is owing us to enable us celebrate Christmas and New Year. “Unfortunately, the man was not ready to pay anything, in other words, he gave us no choice than to embark on this protest.”

According to him, some of our members have grown old and weak and cannot even take care of themselves let alone pay the school fees of their children and enjoy good meal.

Nze, who noted that their protest would continue until their demands were met, called on the Federal Government to come to their rescue.

He urged the Federal Government to desist from paying their pension through the services of insurance companies but through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. Nze, who said he was personally being owed not less than N400, 000 pension arrears, further pointed out that previous payments had been irregular and not harmonised.

“Some of our members last received their pension in 2010,” he added. One of the protesters, Mr Morris Eledo, who retired in 2006, said: “Today makes it six years that I retired without pension been paid to me.”

Another protester, who retired as Chief Supervisor in 1997, but simply identified himself as Mr Anaedo, said that their pension arrears were still being calculated under the old salary structure.

“There is no harmonisation in the payment of our arrears. I don’t know why they are treating us as if we are not Nigerians. “Federal Government should come and intervene and see if it is at par with what others are receiving,” he said.

A staff of NIPOST, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the protesters arrived in the office at 6 am and noted that their activities had affected normal business activities of the agency.

“Customers were not allowed access into the premises while some staff, out of panic, had to run away.

In his remarks, the Chairman, National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employee, Anambra Council, Mr Paul Muogonu, called on the Federal Government to intervene in the matter.

He said that the protesters were right in their approach, adding that “we are in solidarity of the protest.” “I believe that when they continue for the next three to four days, they will receive proper attention that will ensure the payment of their pension arrears,” Muogonu noted.