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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Retirees on the platform of the Federal Civil Service Pensioners (FCSPB) have called the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) over their refusal to pay members their statutory monthly allocations and other accruals, such as pension arrears for several months.
FCSPB, which is a branch of the NUP, also accused its national body of blocking it from collecting its payments directly from the federal government.
Speaking during the association’s National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, its National Chairman, Comrade Sunday Omezi, said: “Ministry of Labour has intervened but they have refused to oblige to the memorandum of understanding we signed with the Ministry. So we don’t have any alternative now than to approach the court.
“Rule 4 of our constitution says that we will be collecting our money from the source like other affiliated bodies under NUP. It is only the Federal Civil Service that NUP collects from source for us but that is wrong we are now saying that NUP should hands off and allow us to be collecting from source and they refused, saying that the labour act does not allow that. But if other that is the case, then other affiliated bodies should also not be collecting from a source which is PTAD. That Is one of the issues.
“We have written letters severally to PTAD and they keep telling us that that is what they met on the ground. Even the NLC President has directed NUP to pay us our money but they have refused. For the past four years, they have been surcharging us and they stopped our allocation finally in April.
“The money you calculate it is running to about almost N200 million that they are owing us. They should give us our money and allow us to receive directing from PTAD.”
Reacting to the allegations, however, the NUP Media and Publicity Secretary, Bunmi Ogunkolade labelled the FCSPB chairman as an imposter who is laying claim to an expired tenure.
According to him, “That man is an imposter. His tenure expired in July 2022 after four years. We were supposed to hold an election for them on July 29th but he went and got a court injunction to stop the election.
“However, he went to court to secure an injunction against the conduct of a fresh election on the eve of the date for the new election. How then can he continue to lay claim to an already expired tenure?
“All we are saying is that until an election is held, and a new chairman elected then we can release the money to them”
Ogunkolade further noted that the group was a branch of the Union and not an affiliate.
“They are a branch of the NUP and not an affiliate. They were established by the NUP in 2018 for easier administration and according to the Trade Union Act, branches cannot collect money directly from the source. The national body collects the money from the government on behalf of its branches and members and remits to them,” he said.
