Business
Pensioners Decry Non-Implementation Of 33.3% Increase
The Nigeria Union of Pen
sioners (NUP), has called on the Federal Government to implement the 33.3 per cent increase in pension entitlement.
The National President of NUP, Abel Afolayan, made the call at a send off forum for some ex-officials of the union in Abuja.
Afolayan described the non-payment, despite a directive by the Presidency that the money be paid to the affected pensioners without delay, as unfortunate.
He said that government promised to increase the allowance of the pensioners by 53 per cent, after concluding the negotiation of the minimum wages of workers to N18,000.
He said the economic exigencies in the country and the outcry that greeted the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage allowed the pensioners to settle for 33.3 per cent.
The NUP president said that despite the maturity displayed by the union, the federal government had not been able to fully implement the agreement.
Afolayan said those who retired from the military were already enjoying their package, but that other retirees from the civil service were yet to get any payment.
“Arising from the N18,000 per month minimum wage, what the constitution stipulates is that there must be corresponding increase in pension anytime there is increase in wages and salaries.
“Section 173 sub-section 3 and section 200 sub-section 3 stipulate that pension should be increased accordingly.
“Initially, we thought it was going to be 53.3 per cent, but government said what workers actually took was 33 per cent, because tax was deducted from it.
“These were 10 per cent of PENCOM contribution, 7.5 per cent of National Housing Scheme, and another 2.5 per cent.
“It was all these that summed up to 20 per cent. That was how the government arrived at 33.3 per cent.
“We have great respect for Mr President because the NLC and TUC led us to the President, where he ordered that our entire problem must be addressed immediately.
“So, he set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), but since then, it has been meeting upon meeting.
“It is unfortunate that till date, the matter has not been resolved”, he said.