By Amos Aar
BENUE State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has threatened to embark on protest if the state government under Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, fails to meet up with its demands.
In a statement signed by NUP state chairperson, Comrade Michael Vembe, and secretary, Comrade Saater Bur, on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, the union gave the state government eight (8) days ultimatum (from August 8 to 16) to pay all local government pensioners their three months pension.
NUP also demanded that the state government should release nine hundred million naira (N900,000.00) every month for the payment of local government pensioners in the state.
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The pensioners further demanded the commencement of payment of their pension arrears and gratuities, place all retirees that have fully processed their papers on pension payroll this month, and pay pension within a month of a worker’s retirement from service.
Although the pensioners appreciated the Alia-led government for paying three months’ pension to all state pensioners, they however lamented that only one month’s arrears has been paid to one-third of local government pensioners.
The pensioners are however divided over the August 16 protest as the chairman of the Concerned Pensioners Association in Benue State, Hon. Orban Akoso, has called on all pensioners in the state not to honour NUP chairman’s invitation to carry out protest against the state government.
Orban, in a phone interview with National Record wondered why the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners did not organise protest when the immediate past governor of the state, Samuel Ortom, “meted evil on Benue Pensioners”.
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Akoso described Vembe as an opposition member who has a personal interest different from the generality of the pensioners.
“When was Mr Vembe that he did not mobilise pensioners to protest against the evil act by Ortom administration?
“I’m appealing to every right-thinking pensioner to disregard the planned protest by the NUP state chairman, Michael Vembe, scheduled to take place or else be considered as agent of destabilization and destruction,” Orban said.
He said his call for disregard of the planned protest should not be misconstrued as power tussle or a fight for supremacy but “to correct the rot, anomaly, irregularity, disproportion and inexactitude in the union’s affairs”.
Orban added: “The new administration is barely two months in office but has paid three months’ pension at the state level and has removed pensioners from the state of oblivion to the frontline charge.
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“Pensioners that were nicknamed dead people are now full of life and the new administration is working indefatigably to clear the rot in the local government before payment is made. They stated that money is available and as soon as the rot is cleared, payment will be made”.
Orban Akoso urged government not to be distracted by Vembe’s announcement, pointing out that 99 percent of pensioners are solidly behind the government while Vembe is alone.
“It appears Vembe is an opposition member to this administration because throughout the tenure of the previous administration led by Dr Samuel Ortom, Vembe was not thinking about protest at all. We were not paid for 43 months but Vembe did not think of protest.
“Pensions were not harmonised as contained in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended). Some pensioners are still taking N600 but Vembe did not protest.
“Some pensioners have retired for two years now, they are yet to be placed on pension payroll but Vembe did not protest. Our issue of gratuity is a totally forgotten issue but Vembe did not protest. It is now that the new administration has started on a sound footing that Vembe is protesting. What kind of protest?”, Vembe asked.
