The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission’s study on the harmonization of pensions, which was submitted to the Federal Government, includes information that suggests pensioners in the federal civil service may receive an increase in their pension stipends in the upcoming year.
According to The Punch, It was learned that both Federal Government pensioners under the new pension plan and those under the old plan will receive the rise.
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners’ executive committee was informed by the NSIWC that the commission was investigating the findings of the report it had sent to the federal government about retiree pensions.
According to a statement released in Abuja on Friday by the Head of the commission’s Press Unit, Emmanuel Njoku, the pensioners, led by their Chairman, Samuel Adewale, paid a courtesy call to the Chairman of the wages commission, Ekpo Nta, where the NSIWC leader answered some of their questions.
“The chairman of the commission informed his guests that the commission was regularly following this up since it would have a bearing on considering pension increases in 2024,” the statement said in part.
“The commission had forwarded to the government its report on the harmonization of pensions for consideration after synthesizing inputs from relevant stakeholders, including pension unions, and the availability of funds.”
“The rise is going to be in accordance with the negotiated minimum wage for Federal Government workers both in the current and previous pension schemes,” Njoke stated when approached to offer more details on the issue.
According to the statement, the NSIWC chairman responded to the pensioners’ complaints that they had not received the payment for the recently approved palliatives and mentioned that the relevant government bodies were taking the matter up.
According to the commission, among the delegates was the Chairman of the Committee on Pension NUP-ASU/Parastals, Gabriel Oladele, who requested the NWISC to become involved in the incorrect calculation of their consequential adjustments and the irrational reductions from their pensions after decades of receiving the same.
He also informed his guests that the Federal Government and other significant stakeholders were typically consulted extensively before the commission released its circulars.
He noted that because no agency was allowed to change the circulars unilaterally without the NWISC’s formal approval, there were procedures for anyone to request clarification.
According to the National Minimum Wage Act of 2019 and Section 173(3) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) Constitution, the chairman went on to explain that the commission would make sure that all the necessary arrangements were made for the consideration of a new national minimum wage and the accompanying pension review in 2024. The commission is the secretariat of the Tripartite Committee of the National Minimum Wage.
The WISC chairman responded to a pensioner’s observation that the constitution calls for a “corresponding increase in pensions” by pointing out that Section 173(3) does not use the word “corresponding.” He went on to say that increases in serving officers’ allowances could not be construed as salary increases, according to the NWISC.
