Nasarawa pensioners cry out over meagre pay package

Pensioners in Nasarawa State have cried out over the meagerness of the package designed by the state government to pay their entitlements on a monthly basis.

They complain that the monthly release of only N20 million to the State Pensions Bureau to pay up arrears in gratuities and other retirement benefits amounts to government insensitivity to their plight.
There are not less than 4,300 pensioners in the state, out of which about 3,000 are yet to take their gratuity because of inadequate release of funds for the purpose, according to a statement from the Chairman, Nasarawa Union of Pensioners (NUP), Alhaji Umaru Adoga.

“This amount cannot go round. It has hardly addressed the backlog of arrears in gratuity to thousands of pensioners on the queue. We can no longer pay our children’s school fees, rents, hospital bills and other sundry bills. Our members are dying from hardship because of this development”, Alhaji Adoga said in the statement at the weekend.

He appealed to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to look their way with the view to consider their plight for attention, saying “we are appealing to the people’s governor, the champion of the masses and workers to consider our case for prompt attention. We are appealing for the governor to consider approving an increase in the monthly release from N20 million to at least N200 million. This can address arrears and attention to fresh cases as our number has continued to rise.”

He passed members’ support to the administration which he described as “workers’ friendly”, and expressed optimism that the governor will not overlook their cries for better payment package.

[Daily trust]