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Tag: Pensioners

  • PTAD pays over N1bn to 776 deceased pensioners’ Next of Kin

    PTAD pays over N1bn to 776 deceased pensioners’ Next of Kin

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), has paid more than N1,644, billion to 776 verified and eligible Next of Kin (NoK) of deceased pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

    This is contained in a statement issued by PTAD Head, Corporate Communications, Mr Olugbenga Ajayi, in Abuja on Wednesday.

    According to Ajayi, the beneficiaries are from the civil service, police, parastatals, customs, immigration, and prisons pension departments.

    He said that 629 NoK under the parastatals pension department received N1,481 billion, while 103 NoK from the civil service pension department were paid N101,14 million.

    According to him, 43 NoK of police pensioners received N58,95 million, one NoK under the customs, immigration, and prisons pension department got N2,431 million.

    Ajayi quoted PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya as saying “the payment underscores the directorate’s commitment to settling the entitlements of deceased pensioners subject to availability of fund.’’

    She said that PTAD was working diligently to clear the backlog of pension liabilities, adding that the disbursement was a significant step in that direction.

    Odunaiya said that paying death benefits to NoK was a crucial part of PTAD’s mandate, as it provides financial relief to families that had lost their loved ones.

    Odunaiya said that the payment was expected to bring comfort to the beneficiaries, and PTAD was proud to have played a role in positively impacting their lives.

    The executive secretary reiterated PTAD’s dedication to pensioners and their families, and assured them that the directorate remains committed to delivering efficient and timely payment of their pension.

    She said that PTAD would continue to ensure that all pensioners and NoK received their rightful entitlements in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

  • Ogun Gov’t refutes invitation of pensioners’ next-of-kin

    Ogun Gov’t refutes invitation of pensioners’ next-of-kin

    The Ogun State Government has described as false and misleading a notice, attributed to the Bureau of State Pension, inviting the next-of-kin of deceased pensioners to undergo a screening process.

    Mrs Arinola Adetayo, the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau, disowned the notice in a statement in Abeokuta on Thursday.

    Adetayo said that the notice, purportedly issued by an unnamed individual, was not authorised by the government.

    She said that the state government had established a clear official procedure for processing pension claims and disbursing benefits to the next-of-kin of deceased pensioners.

    According to her, the process did not require any form of screening by unknown individuals or third parties.

    “The notice circulating on social media does not originate from any government office, department or Bureau of State Pensions personnel.

    “The bureau is not in any way associated with, nor endorses the request made in the notices.

    “Any request for screening of next-of-kin by individuals or entities not officially recognised by the state government is fraudulent and should be disregarded.

    “We strongly advise that no personal information or documents should be shared in response to any unauthorised invitations or requests,” she said.

    The permanent secretary advised that anyone who had received the notice to contact the Bureau Office at Block A, Ogun State Government Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

  • Edo announces date to begin screening of 2011 LGA pensioners

    Edo announces date to begin screening of 2011 LGA pensioners

    Edo State Government has said that the screening exercise for local government pensioners, who retired in 2011, would begin on October 21.

    This is contained in a statement by Mrs Mary Omon Arewa, the Acting Secretary to the Local Government Staff Pension Board on Monday in Benin.

    Arewa  said the exercise, which would end on Oct. 25, would hold at the Local Government Staff Pension Board, Pension House, Kings Square, Benin from 8 am to 4 pm.

    She urged the pensioners to come with their Letter of Appointment, Pensioner Biometrics, Pension Identity Card and Pay Advice

    According to her, the screening exercise follows the approval of Gov Godwin Obaseki and the directive of Commissioner for the Ministry of Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Monday Osaigbovo..

    The  statement reads: ” The screening exercise will enable the State Government to screen and pay gratuity to pensioners on the payroll of the Local Government Staff Pension Board, who retired in 2011.”

    The Acting Secretary advised the pensioners to “endeavour to be present and punctual” at the screening exercise.

  • How pensioners are dying due to hardship – NUP

    How pensioners are dying due to hardship – NUP

    The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), says many members are dying due to hardship caused by the economic downturn.

    According to the union, the economic downturn has led to high cost of living in the country.

    Mr Godwin Abumisi, the National President of NUP,f spoke on Thursday when he fielded questions from  newsmen in Abuja.

    Abumisi said that the union had lost about 1,500 of its members in recent times due to economic hardship and high cost of living in the country.

    According to him, it is not in our power to distribute food items to pensioners in Nigeria, we do not have the resources.

    “In Nigeria, government do not think about the poor people.

    “Otherwise , how can pensioners in Enugu receive as low as N450 as monthly pension and we have been saying this but it seems as if we are crying wolf but it is a reality, ‘m” he said.

    The NUP president  said that many  members across the country were also still earning as low as N500 and N1,000 as monthly pensions, especially in the South-East states.

    Abumis  listed the states to include  Borno N4000, Gombe N8,000, Jigawa N12,000, Katsina N7,000, Kogi N5000, Kwara N3000, Niger N4,000, and Taraba N5,000 among others.

    “It is important to highlight here that the above pension rates are as low as shown above due to non-harmonisation of pensions which the union has always made a case for.

    “This is also due to non-implementation and payment of the previously reviewed N18,000 minimum wage in 2010 and the N30,000 minimum wage in 2019 by many states of the federation.

    “Sadly, the non-implementation of these salary reviews in the states has affected the corresponding increases in pensions in the various states under reference.

    “The union takes exception to and disagree with the untenable excuses by the state governments that they cannot afford the implementation and payment of the previous wage reviews,” he said.

    He said that with the increase in federal allocation to states by the present administration, it was unacceptable and unpardonable.

    According to him,  in the interest of fairness and justice,  NUP will propose N100,000 as the National Minimum Pension to theTripartite Committee in line with the proposed N200,000 National Minimum Wage by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) .

    Abumis said that anything short of that would incur the wrath of the pensioners who were hard-hit by the prevailing economic hardship occasioned by the ever rising cost of living

    He, however, reiterated the union’s call to be included in the tripartite committee on national minimum wage.

    “I want to make it clear, I am going to led Nigerian pensioners on a protest so that the world will see that pensioners are suffering.

    “We have the authority of our members to call for a mass protest across the country, particularly in the capital city of Abuja if our demands are not addressed by the Federal Government.”

  • Pensioners demand inclusion in minimum wage committee

    Pensioners demand inclusion in minimum wage committee

    The  Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has urged  the Federal Government to include their members in the tripartite committee on the national minimum wage review..

    Mr Godwin Abumisi, National President of  NUP requested a news conference addressed by the union on Thursday in Abuja.

    Abumisi urged President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of necessity and urgency, include the union in the committee.

    According to him, when the news of constituting the wage review committee was announced by the federal government, it was applauded by the NUP.

    “This was with the high hope that NUP will be represented in such a high-powered committee to offer their voice to the negotiation as well as make a case for their members.

    `We were anticipatory bearing in mind that pensioners are workers in retirement who go to the same market for their daily needs.

    “Moreso, we feel that the pensioners’ union should be carried along during negotiations on the matters that bother on their members.

    “Unfortunately and regrettably too, our hope of being represented in the committee was dashed as the name of NUP was visibly omitted from the membership list,’’ he said.

    He said they were using the forum to protest and register their displeasure with the constitution of the committee in a way that undermined the relevance of the union.

    Abumisi argued that although, NUP is a member of the organised labour family, hut its interest will not  be sufficiently catered for in the absence of its members

    “Previous experiences had shown that pensioners had always been left to their fare in the series of wage reviews and negotiations.

    “It is not until our local union (NUP) will have to struggle overtime to press for a corresponding upward review of pensions for their members.

    “This oversight, or do we call it maltreatment of the senior citizens, is a flagrant contravention and disobedience to the provisions of Sections 173(3) and 210(3) of the 1999 constitution.

    “The section unambiguously stipulates that pensions shall be reviewed every five years, or together with any federal/state salary reviews, whichever is earlier.

    “The above constitutional provision has always been violated as it is hardly observed or adhered to by the same authorities that signed it into law,’’ he said.

    The NUP president therefore urged that in the interest of peace and industrial harmony,  President Tinubu should appoint the leadership of the union to serve in the committee.

    He contended that any review of national minimum wage should always be done together with the review of the national minimum pension.

    According to him, workers and pensioners belong to the same civil service family with similar characteristics and needs.

  • Gov. Mutfwang promises to clear N30bn pension arrears

    Gov. Mutfwang promises to clear N30bn pension arrears

    Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, has promised to clear the backlog of pension arrears, amounting to N30 billion, to alleviate the sufferings of retirees in the state.

    Mutfwang made the promise on Monday in Jos at the opening of the first ever Plateau Government/NLC/TUC retreat, saying that workers welfare remains his topmost priority.

    The governor said that successive administrations did not give adequate attention to the welfare of retirees, hence the huge amount of unpaid pensions.

    He told the workers that the same zeal employed to clear outstanding civil servants salary arrears is the determination and commitment he would deploy to clear the pension arrears.

    “Efforts are underway to address long-standing issues like gratuities, death benefits, and pension arrears, as the last payment of gratuity was done in 1985.

    “The welfare of civil servants is paramount; hence, we have cleared the backlog of inherited salaries, which spanned over four months, and we are up-to-date with the payment of workers’ salaries.

    “Also, we have approved the payment of the 90 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and 75 per cent hazards allowance.

    “Similarly, we have approved the payment of 75 per cent Hazards Allowance to other health workers, that is, the Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

    “Recognising the significance of the civil service, we have prioritised its well-being by fulfilling promises, such as clearing outstanding salaries, rejuvenating the workforce through training, and ensuring the regular release of overheads for enhanced productivity,” he said.

    The governor assured that his administration would continue to uphold the values and ethics of the civil service as a deliberate step towards fostering an environment for all sectors to thrive.

    He stated that the guiding principles of his administration include fairness, justice, and equity in the treatment of every worker.

    Mutfwang emphasised that the retreat exemplifies his administration’s dedication to reshaping the narrative and ideologies hindering the efficiency of the civil service.

    The governor said that the theme of the retreat, “Promoting Effective Social Dialogue for Industrial Relations Under the Context of the Time Is Now Mantra”, is apt and timely.

    According to him, industrial harmony is crucial for development, and the civil service must be a cornerstone of continuous dialogue to achieve this.

    Plateau NLC Chairman, Mr Eugene Manji, said that the retreat was an opportunity for government and labour leaders to brainstorm on ways to improve governance in the state.

    Manji said that the retreat would afford labour leaders the opportunity to learn things in line with the International Labour Organisation.

    The chairman commended the Plateau Government for partnering with organised labour to launch the maiden retreat.

    Prof. Pam Dung Sha, Director of Research, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, advised the Plateau Government to set up a team of labour advisers instead of the usual one adviser.

    Sha, who was a guest speaker at the retreat, said that one Adviser was grossly insufficient to properly advise the government on labour issues.

    The director of research advised workers to be committed to jobs for the growth of the state.

  • Cross River pensioners dissatisfied about two cups of rice palliative

    Cross River pensioners dissatisfied about two cups of rice palliative

    Pensioners in the Calabar branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) say the 400 bags of rice given to 2.5 million of them to share as palliative are grossly inadequate.

    The Calabar branch of NUP  covers Odukpani, Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Akpabuyo, and Bakassi local government areas in the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River.

    Speaking with NAN in Calabar on Wednesday, Chairman of the branch, Mr Godwin Effiong, said it was absurd to share two or three cups of rice to each member.

    He stressed that it was even unconscionable to ask a pensioner to spend N1,000 on transportation to travel for about 12 kilometres from his village to Calabar only to collect two cups of rice.

    He said also that it would have been difficult to share the rice, but for the appointment of coordinators in each of the five local government areas.

    He explained that information that reached the union was that the Federal Government would send N800 bags of rice as fuel subsidy removal palliative to pensioners in the state.

    Effiong added that “all of a sudden, it was cut down because pensioners in the state are of two categories, the state and the local government pensioners.

    “Local government pensioners belong to a group called Pensioners Association which they carved out by themselves and we also have NUP for state retirees; so the palliative was shared between the two groups almost equally.

    “It was grossly insufficient because some people went home with just three cups of rice while others got between five to seven cups because we wanted it to go round to avoid complaints later,’’ Effiong said.

    He, however, expressed appreciation for federal and state governments’ gestures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

    Cross River government has also approved the payment of N10,000 monthly to workers and pensioners in the state for six months.

  • Tinubu approves grants payment to vulnerable pensioners

    Tinubu approves grants payment to vulnerable pensioners

    President Bola Tinubu has approved the payment of N25,000 monthly grants to vulnerable pensioners captured in the expanded National Social Register of the  Conditional Cash Transfer scheme.

    The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, announced that he directed the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to commence the payment of the grants to beneficiaries from next month.

    According to a statement issued by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Rasheed Zubair, the minister disclosed this when she met with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, led by its President, Joe Ajaero, at Labour House, Abuja.

    She said, “The President mentioned very clearly that vulnerable pensioners should be immediately captured in the National Social Register and benefit from the Conditional Cash Transfer, as part of the national social safety net expansion.

    “This was made clear in his speech on Independence Day where he committed N25,000 for 15 million household for three months”.

  • CCT Scheme: FG announces N25,000 grant to vulnerable pensioners

    CCT Scheme: FG announces N25,000 grant to vulnerable pensioners

    The Federal Government has announced a special grant of N25,000 each under its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Scheme to vulnerable pensioners in the country.

    Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, announced this when she met with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress,NLC, led by its President,Joe Ajaero in Abuja.

    “President Bola Tinubu mentioned very clearly that vulnerable pensioners should be immediately captured on the National social Register and benefit from the CCT.

    “As part of social safety net, this was made clear in his speech on Independence Day where he committed 25000 Naira for 15million household for three months”, she said.

    Edu informed the leadership of labour union that the desire to expand the national social register to include vulnerable pensioners in the CCT scheme was encapsulated in the renewed hope agenda.

    She therefore appealed to the NLC to help fast-track the process of collating Data of would-be vulnerable pensioners beneficiaries so that they can start receiving CCT.

    “I want us to fast-track this, so that we are sure the expected beneficiaries can start receiving their stipends from next month which is November”  Edu said.

    The minister commended Ajaero for being a team player.

    According to her, the task of moving Nigeria forward was a collective one.

    She therefore urged NLC leadership to continue to have faith in the Tinubu Administration.

    In his response, Ajaero expressed delight at the various poverty alleviation and job creation schemes rolled out by the Humanitarian Ministry.

    The labour leader however said, identifying the root cause of poverty would go a long way in addressing the challenge in the country.

    “Let’s look at not only how to solve this problem, but the cause of the problem, Let us look at other social welfare interventions and job creation that will go a long way to support families” he said.

    He urged the federal government to create more productive economy by creating more Jobs to ensure prosperous nation.

    Ajaero thanked the Minister for being the first member of the federal executive council to visit the labour house in President Tinubu’s Administration.

    ”For finding time to visit the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, we will work with you to achieve success in this process and your impact will be felt” Ajaero said.

    Also speaking, President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Mr Godwin Abumisi, thanked the federal government for finding the retirees worthy of government social  intervention programme.

    According to him, Pensioners recieved as low as between five and ten thousand Naira a month.

    ”Twenty five thousand Naira is a big money to them” Abumisi said

  • Subsidy removal: S’West pensioners demand N40,000 minimum pension

    Subsidy removal: S’West pensioners demand N40,000 minimum pension

    Pensioners in the South-West geo-political zone have demanded for N40,000 minimum pension from the governors in the zone.

    The pensioners made the demand at the end of the meeting of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), South-West zone, held in Ibadan on Thursday.

    The meeting was attended by union executives from Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos and Ogun states.

    Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the NUP Public Relations Officer for the zone, Mr Olusegun Abatan, said that the plight of pensioners in the South-West in particular and Nigeria in general had remained static for years.

    According to Abatan, some pensioners in the zone earn as low as N350 monthly pension, while the governors seem not to see anything wrong with it.

    He said that many states in the zone last paid their pensioners’ gratuities between 2012 and 2014, describing it as criminal and unacceptable.

    “Governors’ salaries have continued to increase while some of them still factor in life pensions for themselves after spending four to eight years, without thinking about the lives of pensioners as well as their gratuities and pensions.

    “The South-West zone of NUP has decided at our meeting that we will not take anything less than N40,000 minimum pension.

    “It is disheartening to tell you that while workers have minimum wage, there is no minimum pension,” Abatan said.

    He said that the removal of petrol subsidy had not only affected the citizens of Nigeria, but had more effect on pensioners.

    The NUP public relations officer said that pensioners now found it more difficult to attend to their medical expenses and other needs as a result of low pension.

    Abatan said that the NUP in the zone would soon come out with its own scale of pension review that would be presented to all the states in the zone, adding that this might also be passed to other zones across the country.

    “We know we don’t have the power to go on strike but we have other means to drive and achieve our demands,” he said.

    Abatan called on Nigerians to stand up for their rights against both the state and federal governments.