The NIgeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), South-West Zone, says the demand by the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) for pensioners to submit their BVN and NIN as one of the conditions for payment of N25,000 wage award will make the payment delay and mpossible.
The South West NUP stated this at the end of a stakeholders meeting of Chairmen, Secretaries and leaders of NUP in the zone held in Ibadan on Thursday
Addressing newsmen, the South West NUP spokesman, Dr Olusegun Abatan,said though President Bola Tinubu meant well for pensioners and want to alleviate their suffering with the approval of N25,000 wage award.
He said that the directive of NASSCO, a department in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs might make the award not visible for pensioners.
” The circular from NASSCO is asking for the impossible, asking us to supply among other things the BVN and NIN before the money will be paid to we pensioners.
“We want to take exception to this directive and we want to state that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs should be satisfied with the supply of documents from the payroll of each state of the federation.
“The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs should adhere to the submission of pensioners payroll by each state and pensioners account number and stop this unnecessary demand.
“The reason is that the demand will delay the payment of the wage award and pensioners may not take anything in the next one or two years.
“How do you gather pensioners to start submitting their BVN and NIN, many of the pensioners are old and don’t know what is happening again.,” he said.
He called on President Tinubu to intervene on the issue because pensioners and the masses are really suffering with the removal of petrol subsidy.
Abatan said that the south west NUP expressed their joy over the re-appointment of Dr Chioma Ejikeme as the Executive Secretary of Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).
He said that the NUP in the zone were not part of a group of pensioners who are protesting her re-appointment and called on anyone who has any issue with her to settle it amicably or go to court.
“We want her back and urge her to finish the process of Pension Harmonisation she started and promised to complete,” he said. (NAN)
