The Nigeria Union of Pensioners on Sunday said some retirees receive N500 as monthly pension in the country.

The Secretary of the union in Kaduna State, Alhassan Musa, who stated this during an interview, described the condition of the returnees as “pathetic.”

He said that most of the affected retirees were in precarious conditions, adding that, “they sacrificed their lives and services for the nation. The worst affected are pensioners in most of the southern and oil producing states in spite of getting fat allocations from the federation account. The condition of pensioners in some northern states and the FCT are far better, as some of them received between N3,500 and N18,000 monthly pension.”

Mr Musa, who is also the NUP scribe in charge of the 19 northern states and the North-West, however, said that only retirees in Kaduna State were earning N30,000 minimum pension monthly.

The secretary recalled that the Kaduna State government in 2020 implemented N30,000 minimum pension during the administration of Gov. Nasir El-Rufa’i.

He, therefore, advocated a 50 per cent upward review of the minimum pension, to improve the social and economic wellbeing of the retirees.

He said this was necessary considering the socio-economic realities in the country.

He stated, “The union proposed a 50 per cent increment even under the defunct N30,000 national minimum wage. We are anticipating that the 50 per cent increment would be approved in line with the new N70,000 national minimum wage. Even under the Federal Government, some pensioners are receiving N10, 000 minimum pension. We are hoping that the Federal Government will balance it up so that no pensioner will receive less than N70,000 as his/her monthly pension. Let pensioners also enjoy the same benefits the workers are enjoying. If a worker is receiving N70,000 minimum salary, let the pensioner enjoy the same.”

He added that the monthly minimum pension should be at par with the new national minimum wage.

Mr Musa also urged the state governor, Uba Sani to emulate El-Rufa’i by being the first governor to implement the  N70,000 minimum pension.

He further said that workers who retired under the contributory pension system were facing formidable challenges.

He added, “Honestly, these people are facing a lot of challenges because some of them retired in the last 10 years, and yet to draw their benefits. It is really pathetic, this is happening in Kaduna and other states. Even under the federal government, those who retired under the contributory pension scheme are suffering as their accruals have yet to be remitted into their accounts.”

According to Mr Musa, once a worker retires, he is supposed to be placed on pension within three months, and receives his lump sum.

Exonerating Pension Fund Administrators and Pension Commission of faults in pension management, Mr Musa attributed the situation to the inability of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to remit monthly contributions to individual’s worker accounts.

He stated, “This is because they are not remitting the money as and when due as is expected of them.”

(NAN)