By Adadareporters
Gov Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has been given up to 16th of this month to pay off the backlog of pensions owed retired state workers or face protest.
The state Council of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners stated this in a release on Tuesday. The union wants the state government to pay the three months’ arrears it owed them without further delay.
The notification was signed by the union’s chairman, Michael Vembe, and secretary, Saater Bur. The union further demanded the government to release nine hundred million naira every month for the payment of local government pensioners in the state.
It also wants the government to place all retirees that have fully processed their papers on pension payroll this month, and pay pension within a month of a worker’s retirement from service.
They resolved that if the government fails to meet their demands, the union will have no choice but mobilise all pensioners in the state to protest next Wednesday.
The union however commended the state government for paying three months’ pension to all state pensioners, but lamented that one month has been paid to one third of local government pensioners.
The union said its members needed more government attention considering their vulnerability due to old age and health challenges.
