From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) have urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to sponsor an executive bill to the National Assembly to make payment of pensions the first-line charge in the annual budgets of the country.
The Pensioners claimed that they made the petition out of concern that the monumental sanity being witnessed and the unprecedented fraud-free pension regime of the current administration may suffer setbacks if the next President decides to treat pension payment as a lesser priority.
The union pleaded that the fate and lives of pensioners after the current administration are hanging on a thread and that their only saving grace would be the constitutionalisation of payment of pensions as a first-line charge through the National Assembly, by Mr President.
A communique jointly signed by the organisation’s President-General, General Secretary and National P.R.O, Chief (Dr) Tempe Ubani, Mr Franklin Enrile, and Mr Jonathan Iyoo, respectively, read:
“NEC in-session commended President Mohammadu Buhari GCFR, for making pensioners’ welfare a top priority and ensuring regular approval of funds for a monthly payment of Federal Pensioners’ pensions.
“NEC also salutes the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, CON, for the regular and prompt release of funds for a monthly payment of our members’ pensions. NEC in-session equally acknowledges Dr Mrs Chioma Nnenna Ejikeme, the Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate PTAD, for her proactive, diligent and expeditious payment of the monthly pensions and some other outstanding retirement benefits of Defined Benefits Scheme DBS Pensioners when funds are released.”
“FEPPPAN NEC in-session noted with grave concerns PTAD’S protracted delays to obey and failure to implement the provisions of the Trade Unions Act, Regarding the Automatic Deduction at Source, of Check off Dues from our members and Remit to FEPPPAN, as a Registered and Reorganised Trade Union.
“The NEC in session noted that in spite of the fact that the Minister of Labour and Employment had repeatedly advised PTAD, the Directorate is yet to act accordingly.”
On the challenges of its private sector members, the communique said; “NEC in-session painfully noted that our members of the private sector organisations and some of the non-Treasury government agencies are yet to benefit from the Consequential Adjustments already enjoyed by their Treasury Funded counterparts.
“NEC, therefore, call on the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission NSIWC to urgently intervene and arrange meetings of these organisations, their Pensioners and FEPPPAN leadership to amicably resolve the issues without further delays. This call serves as NOTICE to parties that FEPPPAN shall not hesitate to mobilise its members nationwide for Mass actions against these and other defaulting Agencies forthwith.”
On the prolonged issue of pension harmonisation, FEPPPAN called on the Committee handling the issue of pension harmonisation to expedite action and conclude the signed duty before the expiration of President Buhari’s administration.
The communique also gave the leadership of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) pensioners union till the end of December to fully migrate its members to FEPPPAN, warning that it will not hesitate to accept the application of the majority of FAAN pensioners who have declared their allegiance to FEPPPAN.