The Nigeria Union of Pensioners reports that a large number of its members are passing away as a result of the economic crisis.
Solace Base stated that, the union claims that the nation’s cost of living has increased as a result of the economic slump.
The president of the NUP, Godwin Abumisi, answered questions from media on Thursday in Abuja.
According to Mr. Abumisi, the organisation has recently lost roughly 1,500 members as a result of the nation’s high cost of living and economic hardship.
“We are unable to provide food supplies to Nigerian pensioners. We lack the necessary resources. The government of Nigeria doesn’t give a damn about the underprivileged.
“In this case, how are retirees in Enugu able to get a monthly pension of only N450? Although it appears that we are crying wolf, we have been saying this, and it is true,” he remarked.
The president of the NUP claimed that many members, particularly in the South-East states, were still receiving pensions of between N500 and N1,000 per month.
Mr. Abumis stated that it “is important to highlight here that the pension rates are as low as shown above due to the non-harmonisation of pensions, which the union has always made a case for,” he listed the states as Borno N4000, Gombe N8,000, Jigawa N12,000, Katsina N7,000, Kogi N5000, Kwara N3000, Niger N4,000, and Taraba N5,000, among others.
“This is also due to many states of the federation not implementing and paying the previously reviewed N18,000 minimum wage in 2010 and the N30,000 minimum wage in 2019,” stated Mr. Abumis
Regretfully, the states’ failure to execute these pay has had an impact on the rise in pensions that would have otherwise occurred in each of the states in question.
“The union objects to and disapproves of the state governments’ flimsy justifications that they cannot afford to carry out and reimburse the previous wage reviews.”
He called the increase in federal funding to states under the current administration intolerable and unforgivable.
He claims that the NUP will suggest to the tripartite committee N100,000 as the national minimum pension in the spirit of justice and fairness, in keeping with the N200,000 national minimum salary that the Nigeria Labour Congress has suggested.
Anything less, according to Mr. Abumis, would earn the anger of the elderly, who were severely impacted by the current financial struggle brought on by the continuously rising cost of living.
He also restated the union’s demand to be a member of the tripartite national minimum wage committee.
“Let me be clear: I will spearhead a protest in Nigeria to draw attention to the plight of pensioners,” Mr. Abumis pledged. If our demands are not met by the federal government, we have the right as a group to call for a nationwide mass protest, with the capital city of Abuja serving as the focal point.
