From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The Delta State Council National Union of Pensioners (NUP) has pleaded with the state government to fully implement the 2010 33% pension increase by clearing the accumulated arrears of 99 months.
Besides, they demanded the payment of the 54 months arrears of consequential adjustment of pensioners’ monthly pay occasioned by the N30,000 minimum wage awarded to serving workers in 2019.
Rising from a meeting in Asaba, the NUP gave the state government two weeks to meet the demands or be ready for another round of protest.
A statement after the meeting and signed by the chairman of NUP in the state, Silver Savbede, said the state government only paid the increment for October 2019, leaving out the outstanding arrears which have now accumulated to 99 months.
Savbede said although the 33% increment was granted to all pensioners across board irrespective of dates of retirement and salary grade level, the state government made a selective and non-comprehensive payment even for the October 2019 payment.
“The state government only paid pensioners who retired before year 2000 the 33% and pensioners who retired after year 2000 on salary grade level 01 – 06 were paid 20% while those on salary grade level 07 – 16 were paid 15%.
“We are therefore pleading with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to please have a change of mind and implement the 33% pension increase awarded in July 2010 across board like other state governments in the federation and pay us the outstanding arrears of 99 months,” he stated.
On the consequential adjustment, resulting from the new minimum wage said while the Federal Government fully implemented it in two instalments, the state government was in arrears of 54 months.
“The above-stated increases are our legitimate demands. The Delta State Government should please pay us all our money as the pensioners also buy in the same market with other people,” he said.