Pensioners Seek Review of Pension Entitlement

James Emejo in Abuja

The Federal Civil Service Pensioners Branch (FCSPB) of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), has called for the immediate review of pension benefits in line with constitutional provisions.

This comes as the retired workers also hailed President Bola Tinubu for the reappointment of Dr. Chioma Ejikeme as the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

Speaking at a media briefing over the weekend in Abuja, the National Chairman, Mr. Sunday Omezi, expressed concern that some of pensioners currently receive as low as N10,000 as a monthly pension adding that “This cannot take anybody anywhere in the current economic situation in the country”.

He emphasised that the review of pensions remained a constitutional provision that should be carried out in every five years, without any salary adjustment in the system.

According to him, the last pension review took place in 2010, adding that “as we speak, we have outstanding of 2015, 2010 because it should happen every five years”.

The pensioners, therefore, appealed to Ejikeme to take up the issue with the federal government given that the review remained a constitutional matter.

They urged her to initiate the review and present it to the federal government for approval.

The group particularly stressed that the reappointment of Ejikeme for a second term was a well-deserved one, in view of her track record in the administration of pensions, culminating in the prompt payment of monthly pensions, payment of pension arrears, as well as landmark innovations that has eased the process of pension management, and the overall improvement of pensioners’ welfare.

Speaking alongside other executive members of the group including its Public Relations Officer, Mr. William Esiet, and National Secretary, Mr. Christian Azunna, Omezi also dissociated the FCSP from a recent newspaper publication (not THISDAY), purportedly protesting Ejikeme’s reappointment by the president, adding that the report “appears to have a taste of fabrications, falsehood, frivolities, and mischief.”