Pensioners To Buhari: Implement Our Pay Review

Pensioners on Wednesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to save them from further hardship by approving the White Paper on pension review.

They urged him to order the issuance of a long-awaited circular on pension increase to enable the relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to implement the approved upward review.

They hope the President will accede to their request so that the circular can be issued by mid-May.

The National Association of Nigerian Pensioners (NANP), in a statement by it National President Ifeanyi Usifo and General Secretary Femi Adebayo, said the delay in implementing the review violates the 1999 Constitution.

They noted that Section 173 (3) provides that “pensions shall be reviewed every five years or together with any Federal Civil Service salary reviews, whichever is earlier’”

The pensioners said the last review, a 33 percent increase, was in July 2010, over 10 years ago.

The next review, which was due by July 1, 2015, is yet to be done, contrary to constitutional provisions, and despite the review of the national minimum wage.

NANP said: “The high level of inflation has seriously eroded the purchasing power of our current pension. Some of our members have passed on while waiting for this long overdue upward review of pension.

“Why is the Federal Government treating us this way? Is it because we can no longer down tools? We don’t deserve this kind of unjust treatment at this old age having served the country meritoriously.

“We are passionately appealing to the President to kindly approve the White Paper on pension review and to further direct the relevant office of government to quickly issue the long-awaited circular on pension increase.

“Once the President approves the White Paper, the Office of the Head of Service will be expected to issue the circular for pension review, hopefully, before the middle of May, so that the various establishments can implement it.

THE NATION