Pensioners Protest FG’s Move to Scrap Pension Directorate

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), yesterday, threatened to drag the federal government to court if it should unilaterally scrap the Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate (PTAD) without the approval of the National Assembly.

The union insisted that the Oronsaye report did not recommend the scrapping of PTAD and urged the federal government to allow PTAD to continue to exist as an agency that oversees pension issues of all pensioners.

The South-west chapter of NUP made the call in a communique it released at the end of the meeting of state chairmen, secretaries and leaders of the union in Abeokuta, Ogun State’s capital.

The South-west Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NUP, Dr. Olusegun Abatan, warned that scrapping would lead to reinstitution of corruption, harsh treatment and more untimely death of pensioners.

Abatan said that PTAD has ensured seamless and prompt payment of pensions and gratuities, expressing the fear that scrapping it may spell doom for pensioners.

Abatan urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to be misinformed by “rapacious civil servants” BUT insisted that the PTAD is an Act of law and “any step taken to unilaterally scrap it without the imprimatur of the National Assembly is a violation of the law.”

“The South-west NUP may go to court if PTAD is unilaterally scrapped because it will amount to violation of the law of the land and to that effect null and void and of no effect.

“The South-west decries scrapping of PTAD and taking pensioners back to Egypt where our pensions and gratuities will be at the whims and caprices of larcenous civil servants.

“We do not want to go back to the era where our members will be dying on queues or traveling from all over the Federation to Abuja before our entitlements are paid,” Abatan said.

He lamented the federal government’s failure to pay the agreed N25,000 palliative fund to pensioners to ease economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.

“In the MOU between the Labour and government in October 2023, government promised to give N25,000 to pensioners.

“I regret to inform you that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has not fulfilled that promise.

“We appeal to government to do the needful, particularly as the firmament is becoming too unbearable and choking for pensioners,” Abatan said.