Rivers
Ex-Labour Leader Urges Contributory Pension Scheme Review … Pleads With Gov To Clear Backlog
Former Vice President of National Association of Civil Service Union, Comrade Menele Nzidee, has urged the Rivers State Government to review the state contributory pension scheme.
Comrade Nzidee, who spoke on a radio programme, “Viewpoint”, in Port Harcourt, observed that while the civil servants have judiciously paid their own percentage over the years, the state is yet to pay the backlog since the scheme commenced.
To this end, he recommended that government reviews the scheme or pay the backlog of contributions as required by law.
Besides that, he argued that in Rivers State, the civil service remains the major source of employment, and as such it will be unfair to subject workers to a scheme that will not sustain them in retirement.
In order to achieve this, he tasked labour leaders in the state to make a proposal for an effective pension scheme that will address the plight of retired civil servants, noting that the current scheme subjects workers to suffering after exiting service.
On the backlog of gratuity owed pensioners, Comrade Nzidee pleaded to the State Sole Administrator to clear the arrears as he revealed that about N50billion is currently being owed to retirees.
He urged the Sole Administrator to write his name in gold by clearing the backlog, saying that it will make his legacy indelible in the minds of workers.
The labour leaders also urged that pensions should reflect the current minimum wage increment, stressing that pensioners are yet to enjoy consequential adjustment in wages.
Reacting on the ongoing civil servants reverification exercise, Nzidee said the exercise can only be successful if necessary measures are put in place to reduce pressure and hiccups that will drain workers.
By: Kevin Nengia