Kogi state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) has commended Governor Usman Ododo for starting his administration on a very good note.
Chairman of Kogi state council of NUP, Engr. Clement Ohida, gave the commendation shortly after the Central Working Committee meeting of the Union held in Lokoja.
Ohida said the entire pensioners in Kogi appreciates the state government for the appreciable improvement in the percentage payment paid to them after the payment of February pensions.
He, however, posited that payment of 100% pension to retirees in the state is achievable based on the Federal Government policy asking that all arrears of pension be cleared.
He appealed for the harmonization of pensions for retired civil servants, and called on the government to look into the aspect of payment of gratuity for pensioners in the local government, pointing out that as at today nobody has been paid a dime as far as gratuity is concern.
“While we are appreciating the state government for where we are, we believe that payment of 100% pension is achievable.
“We call on the government to look into the aspect of payment of gratuity as this will help cushion the economic situation of our pensioners,” he said.
The NUP Chairman said it is not normal that pensioners should be paid percentage pension, adding that local government pensioners have had to live with percentage payment of pension for several years.
“We are coming from a situation where pensioners have had to live with 30-35% of their pension for whatever reason. But progressively we are now on 85%, reason for the appreciation.
“We are not unaware that many of our people are not happy about this development of percentage pension. But the fact that whatever you cannot get by fighting, you may not have a choice but to apply diplomacy to still arrive at it.
“As a Union, we are ready to bend backwards, reason why we are appreciating the government and also asking for more in the areas of 100% payment of pension, harmonization and payment of gratuity.
“We equally appeal to the state government on the need to harmonize pension in the state. We have pensioners who retired several years back and what they take is nothing to write home about.
“Some states have implemented what is called minimum pension making pensioners take home something reasonable. In Kogi, we still have pensioners who take as little as N5000. Now, when that amount is paid based on percentage, you can imagine what it means for such a pensioner”.
Engr. Ohida assured the present administration of the support and cooperation of pensioners and expressed optimism that pensioners would enjoy payment of 100% pension, gratuity and harmonization.
