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| Members of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Electricity Sector, in Lagos and
Kwara states on Monday protested against the alleged non-payment of
their harmonization, monetisation and gratuity entitlements, said to
amount to N25bn nationwide. |
Members of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Electricity Sector, in Lagos and Kwara states on Monday protested against the alleged non-payment of their harmonization, monetisation and gratuity entitlements, said to amount to N25bn nationwide.
The pensioners also lamented the non-payment of their four-month salaries and 14 years arrears on housing, health and other allowances.
In Lagos, the protesters went to the Lagos House, Ikeja office of the state governor, where they urged the Federal Government to come to their aid, claiming that there were speculations that National Electricity Liability and Management Company, which is in charge of their payment, was responsible for their plight.
The protesters displayed some placards bearing such insciptions as “NELMCO pay us our money, we are starved; and President Goodluck Jonathan please come to our aid, PHCN pensioners are dying,” among others.
They were not, however, able to see Governor Babatunde Fashola, who was said to be in a meeting.
But in a statement signed by the group’s National President, Chief Temple Ubani, the pensioners said the delay in their pension payment had brought hardships to them.
The statement read in part, “Mr. President sir, we wish to bring to your attention the perpetual hardships our members are going through over irregular and non-payment of monthly pension since the beginning of this year. Your intervention to ensure immediate payment of our delayed pension for the months of June, July and August , and almost matured September pension is now sought.”
The National Secretary of the group, Olukayode Ogunbi, said NELMCO had been inconsistent in the administration of pension funds.
He said, “It is very unfortunate that the chairperson of NELMCO, the minister of finance and the coordinating minister of the economy, Dr. Okonjo Nweala cannot fund the agency under her adequately. We have written several letters to the minister over this matter. We want the government to reclassify our pension under current budget, pay our outstanding entitlements of PHCN retirees, including our gratuities, deaths benefits, pension arrears, and monetisation and harmonisation arrears.
“As I speak with you, this demonstration is going on in all the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,” he said.
Ogunbi also urged the ministry of finance and NELMCO to apologise to the families of late members who died in the course of the hardships.
In Kwara, the pensioners staged their protest at the office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company at Challenge, in Ilorin, the state capital.
The Kwara State chapter Chairman, Mr. John Akande, said the chapter was in solidarity with others chapters in the federation in the protest to draw the attention of the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders to their plights.
He called on the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, to kindly assist them in drawing the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan to their ordeal.
Akande said, “Our bulk salaries for the month of September, October, November and December should be released to the agencies responsible for the payment of our monthly stipends because we are dying.
“We are being owed about N25bn nationwide in the payment of the arrears of harmonisation, monetisation and gratuity for the beneficiaries.
“Apart from that, we have not been paid our monthly pension for some months now. Failure to pay us our monthly pension is unleashing hardship on us.”
Akande also demanded the re-classification of their pension under recurrent budget instead of capital supplementation and the release of same on monthly basis. He added that there should be the implementation of all agreements signed by Labour and the Federal
Government of Nigeria at the Hassan Sunmonu Negotiation and Conciliation Committee.
“We demand that appropriate authorities should ascertain and transfer
all Power Holding Company of Nigeria non-core assets to the appropriate agency to manage, sell and or deal with in any manner deemed necessary to complement Treasuring Funding of our pensions.
“We also demand payment of all outstanding entitlements of PHCN retirees from proceeds of the privatization. These include gratutuities, death benefits, pension arrears, and monetisation andharmonisation arrears.”
