The national chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector, Sylva Nwaiwu, has urged the federal government to clear all retirees’ outstanding entitlements.

Mr Nwaiwu made the call in a statement on Wednesday. He said the leadership of NUPCPS had directed a national data capturing/verification exercise of its members across the country from January 20.

“This is in preparation for a national protest if the government fails to honour the January 15 deadline given to it by the union.

“The notice was given through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, which was to clear all outstanding entitlements owed to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme,” he said.

Mr Nwaiwu stated that the CPS policy made it mandatory for all workers to contribute a percentage of their salaries as savings towards retirement.

“It provides long-term savings in the country’s economy with over N21 trillion investable assets, which the government is also leveraging on for infrastructures.

“Meanwhile, the supposed endpoint contributors to the CPS are left to die in poverty and penury,’’ he said.

He said that a committee had been set up by the federal government to decide the outstanding government liabilities in the CPS sector.

According to him,  the committee, which had the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun as a member, suggested ways to raise funds to clear all the outstanding liabilities.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Mr Edun to take urgent executive action on the recommendations of six committees.

“This is the only solution to bringing succour to retirees under the CPS,’’ he said. 

(NAN)