We Have No Relationship with AFTEN, Say Nitel Pensioners

The Secretary of Nigeria Telecommunication Pensioners Association Incorporated, Nitel/Mtel Pensioners, Lagos branch, David Olukunle, has stated that the association has no relationship or connection with Association of Former Telecoms Employees of Nigeria (AFTEN) led by Pastor Oluti Aremu.

Olukunle, who disclosed this in Lagos during a meeting with members, noted that Nitel/Mtel pensioners association had been negotiating with the government before privatisation of Nitel in order to know what would be the fate of pensioners post privatisation.

“What we want the media to know is that Nitel pensioners association is a welfare association catering for the rights and welfare of Nitel pensioners. AFTEN has no relevance to us, and we are not connected or affiliated to them in anyway. Nitel pensioners association has been negotiating with government even before now,” he noted.

Noting that AFTEN was formed in 2007 without the knowledge of Nitel pensioners, he said most of the disengaged staff who had done more than 10 years were then regarded as pensioners and were asked to join the association.

Olukunle explained that as an unknown entity, the Nitel pensioners had always ignored the group because AFTEN had not come to them openly.

He added that Nitel pensioners had only been getting information by way of the text messages which the body had been sending for people to come and collect their money, do verification among other things.

“We have always ignored them because they have not come to us openly, we have only been hearing by way of the false text messages they have been sending for people to collect money, do verification and other things. There is nothing like that. We have a group in Abuja which has taken care of this issue. What we are doing here is to say that we don’t belong to AFTEN,” he added.