By Bimbola Oyesola   

Pensioners, under the umbrella of the Federal Civil Service Pensioners (FCSP), have debunked the report of plans by the union to break away from its parent central body, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), to form another union.

To show their solidarity with the NUP, hundreds of FCSP members besieged the national headquarters of NUP in Abuja recently to protest against the dissolved executive committee, led by Mr. Sunday Omeize, for scheming to polarise the branch and divide the national body.

Speaking with journalists, the pensioners, led by the chairman of the caretaker committee, FCSP, Eguaoba Fredrick, disowned the recent activities of the already dissolved Omeize-led exco, warning that their intention, actions and inaction were to create crisis in the branch and the national body in order to break away from the NUP.

“Their intention is to divide the NUP, and break away. They are not representing federal pensioners, all they are after is check-off dues, just seven members of that executive and some of their kangaroo unit heads purported to have been put in place the same exco without the national body,” Eguaoba said.

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The highest decision-making body of NUP, the National Delegates’ Congress (NDC), had dissolved the executive of the FCSP branch for anti-union activities and gross misconduct, against the constitution of the union, during the national delegates’ conference held recently in Abuja.

While discarding the pronouncement by the dissolved exco that the FSCP has become a new union, away from the NUP, as false, he called on all federal pensioners to stay in the NUP and remain loyal to the national body.

Eguaoba said the dissolved Omeiza-led exco’s decision does not reflect the position of all federal pensioners, saying that it was not in the interest of all federal pensioners, and was selfishly motivated.

He said: “It is highly incredible and most astonishing to read with utmost dismay about a publication by a dissolved exco, led by Mr. Sunday Omeize, who have resorted to cheap blackmail of the NUP as a result of decision taken against him and his former exco, after dissolution by the NDC in session on 22nd of April, 2021, at NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, due to gross misconduct and anti-union activities capable of bringing the good name of the union into disrepute.

“The defunct exco, like a drowning man, had been trying relentlessly to pull down the NUP because of their dissolution. Their action is like a case of calling dog a bad name in order to hang it. NUP is performing creditably well. To put the records straight, retirees of the Federal Civil Service branch have not and do not intend to opt out of NUP to register another trade union as claimed by the dissolved and disgruntled exco.