Pensioners demand minimum pension

The Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners’ Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) has urged the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to complement the implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage and the consequential adjustment thereof, with immediate implementation of minimum pension for pensioners across the country in line with Nigeria’s constitution. 

FEPPPAN, said to be the most vibrant pensioners’ association, regrouped from the old Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) to cater for parastatals and private sector pensioners, also stated clearly that it has no doubt that President Buhari would give immediate attention to the demand of pensioners regarding minimum pension implementation. 

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, president general of FEPPPAN, Chief Temple Ubani, the association commended the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen Chris Ngige and his team for their negotiating skill and efforts which saw government and labour reaching agreement on the consequential adjustment of the N30, 000 new minimum wage.

“We pensioners believe so much in President Buhari’s government when it comes to our welfare and what is due to us. So far, he has left no one in doubt by the prompt payment of pensions.

“Section 173 of the constitution clearly states that once you increased salary for workers by a particular percentage, automatically you will also increase pensions by same percentage. Thanks to God, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has always said that he will go by the law. So we in FEPPPAN strongly believe that government will simultaneously implement minimum pension. Therefore, we will continue to encourage government to do so without further delay. 

“Like I said earlier, President Buhari’s government has left none of us in doubt that he will implement the law especially regarding the implementation of minimum pension.

“Industrial crisis is as old as trade unionism, particularly in our own clime. However, the many industrial crisis that have been averted, and settlement of issues inter and intra union crisis have shown that the current team of the Ministry of Labour and Employment led by Sen. Chris Ngige are very capable and have what it takes to nip in the bud any serious industrial crisis or threat to industrial peace as the case may be. 

“From the stand point of a labour leader, I must tell you that the minister’s position and pronouncements as to what government could do and could not do were very instrumental to the success achieved. Because in the past, what we saw was that ministers will just go into negotiation with labour, agree and sign agreements which they would eventual renege in implementing.”

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