Benue pensioners to protest, seek payment of N9b benefits

OVER 11,000 pensioners in Benue State may soon protest against the non-payment of their retirement benefits amounting to N9 billion.The state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Jacob Unande, who dropped the hint to journalists in Makurdi, maintained that the demonstration was necessary since the state government had continually failed on its promise to take a loan of N8 billion and pay the cumulative monthly pension arrears of retired civil servants.'We met with Governor Suswam last year and agreed that government should obtain a loan of N8 billion from the UBA with both government and pensioners paying the interest involved, but government has not made efforts towards implementing the report of the committee that was set up,' Unande said.The NUP boss said that the union had explored all necessary avenues by first issuing a 21-day ultimatum after which another 14 days were given which had elapsed.Unande said the union was set to issue another seven-day ultimatum to government so as to fulfill all requirements of the labour law after which other labour groups would join the pensioners to take to the streets.He, however, condemned the behaviour of six pensioners in Makurdi Local Council who were dissociating themselves from the impending demonstration.But in a sharp reaction to Unande's claim that their suspension had been recommended to the union's headquarters and that approval had been given, the leader of the group opposed to the demonstration, Mr. John Omakwu, said Unande did not have powers to suspend them since Ukande was just a caretaker chairman and not elected.According to the NUP chairman, the union has 23 branches in the 23 local councils areas of the state and all the members numbering over 11,000 have agreed to partake in the demonstration except the six persons from Makurdi Local Council whom the union in the state recommended to headquarters for suspension for which approval had been given.
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