Retired workers in the country under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) have appealed to the Federal Government to include them as beneficiaries of the proposed palliatives to cushion the economic hardships of the removal of fuel subsidy.
The President of the group, Mr. Godwin Abumisi, who commended the government on the fiscal measure, on Monday made a strong case for the inclusion of pensioners in the proposed palliatives by the government given their socioeconomic vulnerability as retirees.
He said: “The NUP wishes to categorically state and remind the Federal Government that pensioners must be included in the planned palliatives package, being one of the low-income earners in the country.
“There is no gainsaying that the removal of the fuel subsidy has further impoverished and pauperised the vulnerable Nigeria pensioners like other vulnerable groups of persons in our society who are always struggling and battling for survival.
“We believe that if the proposed palliatives are religiously implemented to the letter on record time devoid of the usual bureaucratic bottlenecks, it will go a long way to calm down frayed nerves of the obvious angry Nigerians”, Abumisi stressed.
According to him, for government to achieve the objectives of its cash transfer to the poor plan, especially pensioners, it should collaborate with unions or associations that have the records and statistical database of their members resident in both urban and rural areas.
The NUP leader clarified: “The leaders of the unions/bodies who are very visible could be easily held responsible and accountable in the event of any infractions or shortchanging of their members in accessing such funds.
“Pensioners across the board must also be considered for the proposed six months tax-free payment to public servants for six months as well as the payment of all outstanding liabilities to public/civil servants”, he added.
Abumisi also made a strong appeal to the federal and state governments to pay pension arrears to pensioners, especially the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) pensioners under PTAD, including the 2015 pension increment which the union has been consistently pressing for its payment but to no avail.
This is even as he lamented that under the Contributory (Mandatory) Pension Scheme, the NUP members had been short-changed 15% of the 2007 pension review, citing that 33% of the 2010 pension review was also short-changed, while there was an omission of the 2015 pension review and the consequential adjustment of 2019.
