Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Taraba Chapter, said the state government was owing its 7,902 members over N19 billion in outstanding pensions and gratuities.

The Union Chairman Hassan Abubakar, disclosed this in a communique issued in Jalingo at the end of its state executive council meeting.

Abubakar, who lamented that the state government failed to pay the state and local government pensioners’ gratuities despite receiving three trenches of Paris Club refunds from Federal Government, urged the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to wade into the matter to compel the state government to hasten the payment of the entitlements.

“In view of the fact that all civil servants will eventually come to rest under the umbrella of the NUP after retirement, the council is appealing to the NLC to throw its weight in support of the matter.”

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He said that over 140 new local government pensioners have not been enrolled into the pension scheme, calling for their enrollment and the payment of one month arrears of local government pensioners.

He also urged the state government to implement the 33 percent pension review approved by the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission since 2014.

Abubakar lamented that the non payment of gratuities was denying the members the fruit of their labours as most of them end up dying without spending anything from their gratuities.

In reaction, the Senior Special Assistant, Media to governor Darius Ishaku, Mr. Bala Dan Abu said that the governor had paid a backlog of the pension obligation he inherited and was already putting measures in to address the issue of outstanding gratuities, despite shortfalls from federation account allocation to the state.