From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Mr Godwin Abumisi, has commended Kebbi State Government for regularly paying his colleagues in the state without owing them.
He commended the Kebbi government for its untiring commitment to the welfare of the pensioners of the state in spite of the state’s lean resources and the nation’s economic challenges.
Abumisi made the commendation in Birnin Kebbi during the 6th state delegate conference.
The president, who was represented by the Secretary of the union, Alhaji Ahmad Ibrahim-Gazali, said: “We appreciate the efforts of the Kebbi State government for paying monthly pension regularly and in good time. The government does not owe monthly pension to any retiree in the state in spite of the financial challenges faced by some states and the country,” he said.
Abumisi lauded the Governor for his labour/pensioner friendliness and regular payment of workers’ salaries and pensions.
“We are appealing to the state government to source money to pay all the remaining gratuity and continue to pay gratuity,” he said.
“We are also appealing to the state government for the payment of all the stated increases to the pensioners who retired before 2010 so that their pension is harmonised to the level of the current salary and pension minimum wage and pension,” he prayed.
He called on the state government to review the pension of the retirees according to the federal government’s 30 per cent minimum pension circular.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Umar Alhassan Halidu, said that the welfare of pensioners was the welfare of serving and active civil servants.
“This is so because who soever is working surely shall one day reaches the apex of his work and get retired.
“We are working tirelessly with the state government to ensure the payment to all those that have not been paid in the previous years before the present administration, including those from January to December this year,” he assured.
Earlier, the state Vice Chairman of the union, Alhaji Umar Hassan Kamba, thanked the Head of Service, Alhaji Sufiyanu Bena and the state Ministry of Finance and Establishment for their concern for the welfare of pensioners in the state.