Pensioners urge NUP to pay statutory monthly allocation, arrears

Federal Civil Service Pensioners (FCSP), has urged the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) to pay its members their statutory monthly allocations, pension arrears and other accruals.

Mr Sunday Omezi, the National Chairman of the association made the call during the FCSP’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that FCSP, which is a branch of the NUP, had alleged that the NUP has refused to pay the pensioners monthly allocations and pension arrears for several months.

The association also accused the NUP of blocking the pensioners from collecting their payments directly from the Federal Government.

According to Omezi, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has intervened but they have refused to oblige to the memorandum of understanding signed with the ministry.

“So, we do not have any alternative now than to approach the court. As rule four of our constitution says that we will be collecting our money from the source like other affiliated bodies under NUP.

“But it is only Federal Civil Service that the NUP collects from source and this is wrong; we are now saying that NUP should hands off and allow us to be collecting from source.

“They have refused, saying that the labour act does not allow that. But if that is the case, then other affiliated bodies should also not be collecting from source, which is PTAD and this is one of the issues.

“We have written letters severally to PTAD and they keep telling us that that is what they met on ground,’’ he said.

He said that even the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had directed NUP to pay us our money but they refused.

Omezi also alleged that NUP for the past four years had been surcharging them and had stopped paying their allocation since in April.

“The money, when you calculate it; it is running to almost 200 million that they owe us. They should give us our money and allow us receive directing from PTAD, ‘’he said.

Mr Bunmi Ogunkolade, the NUP Media and Publicity Secretary, while reacting to accusation by FCSP’s national chairman denied the claim.

Ogunkolade said that the chairman of the association was an `imposter, who is laying claim to an expired tenure’’.

“That man is an imposter. His tenure expired since July 2022 after four years.

“We were supposed to hold an election for them on July 29 but he went and got a court injunction to stop the election.

“However, he went to court to secure an injunction against conduct of 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 released the money to them,’’ he said.

Ogunkolade however said that the group was a branch of the union and not an affiliate.

“They were established by the NUP in 2018 for easier administration and according to the Trade Union Act, and 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.