Retirees demand N25, 000 minimum pension

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has demanded for N25, 000 as new minimum pension.

The union said, it is sad that many pensioners are still paid less than N5, 000 pensions monthly even with the high rate of inflation and economic recession.

President of NUP, Comrade Abel Afolayan, while addressing the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Union in recently also said that many state pensioners were being owed over 12 months, saying that many pensioners across the country are not paid.

He, however, commended the governors of Lagos, Jigawa, Anambra, Enugu and Yobe states, saying, “these states do not owe our pensioners any monthly pensions and dues and we will not hesitate to sing their praise.”

He, however, admonished defaulting governors to make amend so that “old men will not be forced to pronounce curses on them with their grey hair.” While the NUP demanded a new N25, 000 national minimum pensions per month, the union called for the immediate payment of the 18 months of the 33 per cent pension arrears to the civil pensioners and 39 months areas owed the Police pensioners.

On their new demand, he declared that it was criminal for a pensioner to collect less than N5, 000 monthly in this time of serious economic recession.

Comrade Afolayan said the union entered into a long negotiation with the Federal Government for the upward review of pension which finally yielded result when the former SGF directed that Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to issue a circular for 33 per cent pension increase effective broom July 1, 2010.