Retirees under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Akwa Ibom state Council, have appealed to Governor Umo Eno to honour the directive and approval of the federal government by implementing the minimum living pension.
They also urged him to include them in the list of beneficiaries of both state and federal government palliative items.
The state chairman of NUP, Obong E. D. Ekpo, made the call while addressing a press conference in Uyo, the state capital, on Friday.
“We want Governor Umo Eno to know that palliatives have not reached pensioners, and he should do something about it. He should also honour the approval of the federal government by implementing the minimum living pension,” he said.
Earlier, the state secretary of NUP, Obong Cosmas Essien, while reading a statement, thanked Governor Eno for paying the accumulated gratuities to civil pensioners up to 2018, local government pensioners up to 2014, and retired primary school teachers up to 2012.
He urged the governor to impress upon SUBEB to include NUP in the committee for the payment of gratuity to retired primary school teachers and next of kin.
On the recent financial autonomy granted to local governments, the secretary appealed to Governor Eno to set up a body or committee, emanating from the state Pension Commission or Board, saddled with the responsibility of controlling direct payment of salaries and pensions to teachers and local government staff.
“All these departments shall collate all the problems of pensioners related to their department; discuss them as a board, and find solutions. Then, they shall treat them, and His Excellency would receive a single report, not multiple ones,” he said.