Pensioners Decry Exclusion From Confab

Members of the Nigeria
Union of Pensioners (NUP), have expressed total disappointment over the refusal of President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government to include their members in the ongoing national conference in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Making their feelings known while briefing newsmen at the Enugu Press Centre, the body which is made up of mostly octogenarians, threatened that if all moves being employed by them to actualise their demands failed, they might be forced to mobilise the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),for partnership in a nationwide protest.
Our correspondent reports that the pensioners’ threat to embark on a nationwide protest was borne out of frustrations caused by the Federal Government in achieving the group’s 15-point demand for their welfare.
They listed their demands to include non-representation of their members at the on-going national conference, non implementation of five percent counterpart funding by federal and state governments, non-prosecution of pension fund managers, among others.
Addressing newsmen, National President of NUP, Dr. Abel Afolayan, represented by the  National  Vice President in-charge of South East zone, Chief Emeka Onwumere, stated that they were on a mission for salvation, and wondered who would wipe out the tears in their eyes.
The group also frowned that pensioners in Enugu State had not been paid their gratuity except for those who retired in 2009.
They named Enugu State parastatals that were being owed over 27 months arrears of  pension to include retirees from the state water board, Enugu State Broadcasting Service, primary school teachers, among others.
“We are asking for harmonisation of pensions for those that retired in 1989 and their peers like 2010 because there is great disparity between them”, noting that in the case of Imo state, the pensioners from the state threatened to embark on street protests if the retired primary school teachers failed to receive their own share of the pensions.
Other demands of NUP include outstanding arrears of pension and gratuity due to  federal pensioners, outstanding 33 percent pension increase and its arrears which they said had been paid to military pensioners.

They, therefore appealed to those in positions of authority at all levels of government in the country to start treating pensioners with respect and not like slaves, as every government worker would one day become a retiree.