Pensioners in the country are asking the federal government to pay them minimum pension in line with the N30,000 new minimum wage approved for civil servants.
The senior citizens said their demand was in the interest of equity and fairness and in line with Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution as amended
Recall that the Federal Executive Council, FEC, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had last Wednesday directed that the arrears on the minimum wage which took effect from April 18 when President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Minimum Wage Amendment Bill into law be paid on or before December 31.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, President of the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners’ Association of Nigeria, FEPPPAN, Chief Temple Ubani, said he had no doubt that President Buhari would give immediate attention to the demand of pensioners with regard to minimum pension implementation.
FEPPPAN used to be an affiliate of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, before it was registered as a separate union to cater for parastatals and private sector pensioners.
Chief Ubani said: “We pensioners believe so much in President Buhari’s government when it comes to our welfare and what is due to us. So far, he has left no one in doubt by the prompt payment of monthly pensions.
“Section 173 of the constitution clearly states that once you increase salary for workers by a particular percentage, automatically you will also increase pensions by same percentage. Thanks to God the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has always said that he will go by the law.
“So, we in FEPPPAN strongly believe that government will simultaneously implement minimum pension. Therefore, we will continue to encourage government to do so without further delay.
“As I said earlier, President Buhari’s government has left none of us in doubt that he will implement the law, especially regarding the implementation of minimum pension.”
He commended the Minister of Labour and Employment and his team for their negotiating skill and efforts which saw government and labour reach agreement on the consequential adjustment of the N30,000 new minimum wage.
He said that Nigeria would have been plunged into industrial anarchy if prompt action was not taken to avert the imminent strike.
“The labour was prepared to completely shut down the economy of the country. And it is also possible that most Nigerians would have supported the strike. I see the resolution as a divine intervention and a win-win situation for not only workers but Nigeria citizens at large.
“Industrial crisis is as old as trade unionism particularly in our own clime. However, the many industrial crisis that have been averted, and settlement of issues inter and intra Union crisis have shown that the current team of the Ministry of Labour and Employment led by Senator Chris Ngige, are very capable and have what it takes to nip in the bud any serious industrial crisis or threat to industrial peace as the case may be.
“From the stand point of a labour leader, I must tell you that the Minister’s position and pronouncements as to what government could do and could not do was very instrumental to the success achieved. Because in the past, what we saw was that ministers will just go into negotiation with labour, agree and sign agreements which they would eventually renege in implementing.
“But this time around, Senator Chris Ngige, was able to always tell the labour what government position was. He was able to tell labour to allow government pay what it can pay. And that set the tone for labour coming down from their demand and there was Agreement. So we cannot stop commending the Minister and the entire ministry for standing their ground and making sure that industrial peace reigns in the country.
“However, we also plead with government to always present issues as they are to the labour, because when government is not forthcoming with information, it only puts doubt in the mind of the organised labour. By the way, labour is partners in progress with government,” he said.
He also lauded the leadership of organised labour, led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba, for their patriotic disposition throughout the negotiations and urged him to persist in ensuring that workers and pensioners interests were not trampled upon by anyone.
