The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Abia State has publicly denied receiving full payments for pension arrears and gratuities from the state government, raising concerns about the government’s commitment to its promises.
The Governor had pledged to clear all outstanding pension arrears by December 2023, but the NUP states this has not been accomplished. Despite multiple appeals and letters, the union has been unable to secure a meeting with the Governor, leading to frustrations that pensioners are being overlooked in favor of other government priorities.
In a media briefing, NUP Chairman Elder Chukwuemeka Irondi disclosed that only 10 months of pension arrears have been cleared under the current administration, leaving 45 months of unpaid arrears from previous governments. The union expressed dissatisfaction with a Memorandum of Agreement they were pressured to sign, which falsely claimed that pensioners had waived their rights to the outstanding arrears and gratuities. They are demanding a review of this MOA under its dispute resolution provisions.
A verification exercise revealed that the total amount owed had ballooned from an initial estimate of N10 billion to N30 billion. The Governor proposed a new payment structure offering percentages based on the arrears owed, but the union is advocating for higher payouts for pensioners.
The NUP has called on Governor Alex Otti to honor his campaign promises or transparently declare the administration’s stance on settling these debts, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the pensioners’ plight. They have also sought support from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and their national union in their efforts.