*The Contributory Pension Union of Nigeria laments the undue delay in payment of the lump sum to pensioners should be stopped as 鈥榙elay is too dangerous in this circumstance鈥�

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

For the regulator鈥檚 incapacity to pay debts owed its members from 2007 to 2010 in accrued pension arrears, the Contributory Pension Union of Nigeria (CPUN) has urged the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to direct Pension Commission of Nigeria (PENCOM) to begin to pay one percent check-off dues deductions from pensioners.

It was learnt Chief Uche Ekpo, President of the Union, who made this appeal at CPUN鈥檚 first anniversary recently, called on 鈥渒ey government stakeholders to seriously expedite actions to eliminate bureaucratic challenges bedevilling the non-implementation of the above requests by CPUN.鈥�

A cross-section of Nigerian pensioners at a forum

The CPUN President noted that 鈥渋t is a wake-up call on the Presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the media as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, to do the needful in this regard.

The Union also wanted the above-mentioned government establishments to direct PENCOM to pay its debts of over the period from 2007 and 2010 accrued pension arrears of 33 and half percent and 15 percent over the last 17 and 11 years respectively, report said.

The group also requested PENCOM to pay Consequential Pensions Adjustment (CPA) to all pensioners under the contributory pension scheme arising from the 18th April 2019 federal government adjustments of salaries of workers.

CPUN stated that PTAD had May 26, 2021, paid 2 years to NUP members, adding the that PENCOM so far has no cogent reason(s) for non-payment.

Chief Ekpo, who maintained that his members are dying on daily basis without their benefits, stressed that the reason that Trade Union Act and laws of the Federation predated establishment of PENCOM and CPUN registration respectively, was no longer a tenable excuse.

While calling for the application of the doctrine of necessity in the matter, Ekpo said: 鈥淯ndue delay of payment of lump sum to pensioners should be stopped; delay is too dangerous in this circumstance.

鈥淭he refusal to hold meetings with CPUN is a major concern, and we ask PENCOM to be humble enough and open up discussion with CPUN officials, like most stakeholders have welcomed in the Union.鈥�

He stressed there is a need for the states of the Federation to subscribe to the contributory pension scheme in order to reduce the wage bills and accumulated pensions over the years, calling on the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to continue to give CPUN the needed support and continuous synergy.

Ekpo as well advised all retirees under CPUN to obtain the registration forms and become duly registered members pointing out that through registration, every retiree becomes a member and enjoys the benefit of collaborative bargaining that CPUN platform offers.