Business

NUP Advocates Special Bailout Fund For Pension Arrears

Published

10 years ago

July 29, 2015

L-R: Project Coordinator, ACE Agricultural Consulting, Mr Oluwadamilohun Osinbajo, Chairman, Agriculture and Non-Oil Sector, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Comrade Wale Oyekoya and Project Coordinator, Bama Foods, Baturiya Joseph, at a news conference on Enforcement of Banned Poultry Products by Federal Government in Lagos last Monday

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has called on the Federal Government to provide a special bailout fund to settle outstanding benefits of pensioners in the country.
The President of the union, Dr Abel Afolayan, made the call in an interview with The Tide source in Abuja on Monday.
It would be recalled that recently, pensioners in some states embarked on series of protests against nonpayment of their pensions and other entitlements.
Afolayan said that the provision of a bailout fund was crucial, given the plight of pensioners in the country.
He said some state governments had reneged on payment of monthly pensions and benefits of pensioners in their states.
According to him, several months of pension arrears are being owed pensioners, while the gratuities and death benefits have yet to be settled.
“We are advocating for a special bailout fund from the Federal Government for pensioners in the states; it will be used to clear all the backlog of pension arrears in the country.
He said that the union had commenced the process of requesting for the bailout.
This, he said, was to support the states finding it difficult to pay pensions and the accumulated arrears.
“We on our part, we have made many statements in the last three or four weeks, even when the Federal Government did the bailout of salaries for the states.
“We have written a letter that the bailout should include pensioners and we are agitating for it.
“We will be meeting Head of Service; we have written letters concerning the issue of bailout and on the need for the Federal Government to give a special bailout to pensioners.’’
The NUP president said about N218 billion was required to settle the balance of 33 per cent increase in pension and other entitlements.
He said that the proposed fund would cover the 42 months arrears arising from the pension increase as well as the unpaid gratuities and death benefits.
“We made an estimate of about 218 billion which Pension Transition Arrangement Department (PITAD) needed to pay the balance of 33 per cent pension increase.
“That is for about 42 months and then for the arrears of pensions, gratuity and death benefits.
Afolayan said that NUP would not relent in its quest to ensure that the rights and entitlements of pensioners were met by the government.
“We are fighting hard together with all the pensioners nationwide; the Presidency is going to have an audience with us next week.
“If all these efforts fail, we are going to have a nationwide protest and it is going to be massive and we will intimate the law enforcement agents about it.
“They can get to the presidency ahead of time so that the government will know about the implication of a massive protest from pensioners.”

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive with the development of the welfare of its personnel.

Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the clearing of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.

A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying, “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.

The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.

“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”

Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.

“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.

Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).

The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.

Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.

The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.

The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.

The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.

He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.

“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.

Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.

The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.

“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.

Chinedu Wosu