Pay our gratuity, pension arrears, NTA retirees tell Fed Govt

RETIREES of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) yesterday said the Federal Government owed them 15 months gratuity and pension arrears as a result of which they are dying of hunger.

The retirees, under the aegis of Nigerian Television Authority Contributory Pensioners Association (NTACOPAN), at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, stated that the situation is almost turning them into beggars as they could no longer feed their families and take care of their medical bills.

The placard-carrying retirees, who had earlier protested at the premises of the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said government was yet to pay them the approved thirtythree and half per cent and 15 per cent upward salary review which they are entitled to.

National President of the association, Kayode daSilva, who addressed journalists, said their action had become necessary because all their efforts, including series of letters they had written to the government to meet their demands, had not yielded any positive result.

Da-silva, who urged the National Assembly and other prominent Nigerians to prevail on the government to give them their rights, said they had not considered any legal action but had decided to use dialogue to resolve the issue.