By Joan Nwagwu
THE NIGERIA Union of Pensioners (NUP) has called on the federal government to pay six months wage award of N25,000 monthly owed to its members across the country; Comrade Bunmi Ogunkolade, Head of Information of NUP, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
Ogunkolade said that the federal government was yet to implement the N25,000 wage award that was announced for pensioners in 2023.
“As I am speaking with you now, not a single pensioner nationwide, has received anything, while workers have enjoyed their N35, 000 for six months. So, what did the pensioners do wrong?” he asked
Ogunkolade commended President Bola Tinubu for assenting to the new national minimum wage law, promptly and urged that the implementation process should include pensioners.
The NUP official said pensioners were feeling the impact of economic hardship in the country the more, resulting in ill health of some of their aged members.
“It is pathetic, seeing our members down with health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, prostrate among others, and the state government they served for decades are not concerned about their plight. Some state governors would even ask the pensioners if they do not have children that should take care of them.
“But we all know that these are people that have used their youthful energy to serve the nation. They should realise that by their failure to take care of pensioners, they are sending wrong signals to the people who are still in service.
“If they know that their post retirement life is not guaranteed, they may want to engage in unwholesome activities while in service to guarantee their future,” Ogunkolade said, stressing that it is worrisome that some pensioners were still receiving pittance, as low as N2,000 since they retired 15 years back.
He called on state governors to implement the directive of 33.4 per cent increments of 2010, as well as the regular increment of 2015 and 2019 consequential adjustment increment. NAN)
