Paris Club Refund: Pensioners Seek Inclusion

Pensioners in the South-South zone, of the country say, measures have been put in place to ensure that the Paris Club Refund, given to state governments to pay salaries and pension arrears were utilised judiciously.
The Zonal Chairman of the union, Comrade Benjamin Eta disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, Friday, shortly after their meeting.
According to him, pensioners in the zone were in collaboration with labour unions to ensure that pensioners are not sidelined.
Eta disclosed that the National Executive Committee of the union had notified the Nigeria Labour Congress over their stand. “The national executive committee has sent a letter to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and to the union to monitor the use of that money. “This is because it is difficult for pensioners to get close to government,” he said.
According to him, it was necessary for the NLC to be involved in the matter, considering the fact of its closeness to the government. “What the union will do is to liaise with the NLC, which is closer to the government to see how that money can be properly put to use,” he said.
It could be recalled that out of the five hundred billion naira of the Paris Club refund, Rivers State received N14.5 billion.