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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has condemned the exclusion of retired workers from the N70,000 monthly transport allowance approved for serving public servants, urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure that pensioners are given fair consideration.
NUP National President, Mr Godwin Abumisi, at a press briefing on Wednesday, described the exclusion as unjust, saying retired workers were also grappling with rising transportation costs, food prices and healthcare expenses despite relying largely on their pensions.
Abumisi, who was represented by the union’s Deputy National President, Abdullahi Usman, argued that pensioners, who devoted their productive years to national service, should not be neglected in government measures designed to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
NUP noted that retirees depend on public transportation to access hospitals, attend medical appointments, purchase food and meet other essential needs, adding that many struggle to survive on inadequate pensions.
The union also faulted organised labour for allegedly failing to adequately protect the interests of pensioners during negotiations over the transport allowance.
It described the situation as a reflection of the “insensitivity of civil servants to the plight of their former colleagues, now retired, who they will eventually join in the retirement ship.”
Beyond the transport allowance, NUP expressed concern over the non-payment of the N25,000 monthly palliative promised by the Federal Government to vulnerable households, including pensioners, under its 2 October 2023 Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
Under the agreement, the Federal Government committed to paying N25,000 monthly for three months, amounting to N75,000 per eligible beneficiary.
The union lamented that the commitment remained unfulfilled for eligible pensioners and called on the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, led by Dr Bernard Doro, to explain the status of the programme, identify obstacles to payment and provide a definite implementation timeline.
NUP urged Tinubu to direct the relevant ministries and agencies to resolve the outstanding palliative payments and reconsider the exclusion of pensioners from the transport allowance.
It demanded that the government either extend the N70,000 monthly allowance to eligible retirees or introduce an equivalent support measure to address their transportation expenses.
The union also called for meaningful consultation with pensioners’ representatives whenever the government and organised labour negotiate welfare policies that could affect retirees.
It maintained that pensioners’ welfare should be protected through timely payment of pensions and other entitlements, alongside measures to cushion the effects of inflation and rising costs of transportation, healthcare and food.
NUP warned that it would continue to pursue all legitimate and lawful means to protect the rights and welfare of its members if the government failed to address its concerns.
“The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) strongly condemns the exclusion of pensioners from the newly approved N70,000 monthly transport allowance for serving public servants, describing the decision as unjust and a further demonstration of the challenges confronting retired Nigerian workers.
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“While the Union recognises the importance of improving the welfare of serving workers, it maintains that pensioners, who devoted the productive years of their lives to national service, should not be neglected when measures are introduced to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
“Pensioners also depend on public transportation to access hospitals, attend medical appointments, purchase food and other essential items, and participate in everyday economic activities. Many have no source of income beyond their pensions, which are often inadequate to meet their basic needs amid persistent increases in the cost of living.
“The Union therefore questions the rationale for excluding retirees from the transport allowance when they face similar, and in many cases more difficult, economic circumstances than their counterparts still in service.
“NUP stresses that the welfare of serving workers and pensioners should not be treated as competing interests. Rather, both groups deserve fair consideration in government policies designed to ease the economic burden on Nigerians.
“The Union also expresses concern over the apparent failure of those who negotiated the transport allowance on behalf of serving workers to adequately consider the interests of pensioners. It questions why the representatives of workers in active service did not press for corresponding relief for their retired colleagues, many of whom spent decades contributing to the public service.
“The Union describes this situation as reflecting the ‘insensitivity of civil servants to the plight of their former colleagues, now retired, who they will eventually join in the retirement ship.’
“NUP calls on organised labour and other stakeholders to recognise that retirement is an eventual reality for every serving worker and that protecting pensioners’ welfare today is also an investment in the future security of those still in employment.
“The Union is equally concerned that pensioners have yet to receive the promised relief under the Federal Government’s October 2, 2023, Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
“Under paragraph 8 of the agreement, the Federal Government committed to paying N25,000 monthly for three months, beginning in October 2023, to 15 million households, including vulnerable pensioners. This amounted to a total of N75,000 for each eligible beneficiary over the three-month period.
“More than three years later, the Union demands a clear explanation of the status of the commitment and why vulnerable pensioners covered by the agreement have not received the promised support.
“NUP particularly calls on the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, under the leadership of Dr Bernard M. Doro, to explain the steps taken to implement the commitment, identify any obstacles that have hindered payment and provide a definite timeline for resolving the matter.
“The Union maintains that an agreement reached between the Federal Government and organised labour should not be allowed to remain an unfulfilled promise, especially when it concerns vulnerable citizens struggling with the consequences of the removal of the petrol subsidy.
“In view of these concerns, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene urgently and ensure that pensioners receive fair and equitable consideration in government welfare measures.
“The Union will continue to pursue all legitimate and lawful avenues to secure the rights and welfare of its members should the government fail to address these concerns.”
