Pensioners, Cries Out Over Non-payment Gratuity For Thirty Years

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP has cried out over the non-payment of federal gratuities of some of their members since 1976. 
Dr. A. O. Afolayan, the national president of the NUP, said this at the South-East zonal sensitization workshop on pension management organised which was by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate in Enugu on Saturday, November 1, 2014 as he also laments over the reduction in the regular amount they were being paid as monthly due by the Federal Government. 

“A federal pensioner share of N17, 000 monthly has been reduced to N10, 000,” he stated, adding that the next-of-kin of some of the deceased pensioners were being denied their benefits. 

Dr Afolayan added that the Federal Government had not complied with the constitutional provision of increase in pension allowance as he stressed that the pensioners were going through tough times. 

He urged the Federal Government to no to renege in its promise to implement the agreed 33 per cent increment in their pension allowance.

The director general of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, Mrs. Nellie Mayshak , stated in her key note address at the event, that there is need to pay closer attention to pension administration “as a panacea for timely and effective pension payment under the Defined Benefits Scheme.” 

Mrs Nellie added that that the workshop was organised to provide an interactive platform between the pensioners and the government for effective discussion and exchange of ideas on the mandate of the PTAD, challenges of the pensioners, methods for complaints resolution and the roadmap for a successful consolidation of pensions under the PTAD. 

The PTAD was a platform that was established by the Federal Government in August 2013, in furtherance to the provisions of section 30 (2) (a) of the Pension Reform Act of 2004.