By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The National Leadership of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners has insisted that whatever agreement that was signed between the Abia State Government and the local chapter of the body was done in error and ignorance.
This is as the Abia state Governor, Dr Alex Otti, directed for the immediate resolution of all areas of disagreements between the pensioners and the Government.
The Source reports that Abia State pensioners and State Government have, since the last one year, been engaged in a smearing face off over issues arising from the latter’s claims of clearing all the accumulated pension arrears and gratiuties in the state over a period of nine years.
While the state Government has insisted that it has settled all that were legally supposed to be paid to the pensioners according to the terms of a purported memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the two parties, the leadership of the senior citizens has maintained that they were shortchanged, bamboozled and cajoled into signing off a significant portion of the said arrears ,as well as their gratuities.
However, on March, 22, 2025, after several exchange of brickbats by the parties, Governor Otti, promised to take a second look at the pension arrears impasse, but with a caveat- to negotiate and discuss only with the National Leadership of NUP.
He had accused the Abia chapter of NUP of insincerity, as well as being a willing tool in the hands of the opposition to undermine the efforts the State Government.
Governor Otti, while speaking during a visit by the national leadership of NUP on Tuesday, directed his Senior Special Assistant SSA on Labour matters, Comrade Godson Anucha, and other top Government officials to hold talks with the NUP officials on how to resolve any grey areas concerning the pension arrears payments.
The Governor, while acknowledging the pivotal and critical role played by the pensioners in his political trajectory beginning from 2015 to 2023, reaffirmed his administration’s avowed commitment towards ensuring the protection and promotion of the interests of the state’s senior citizens.
He noted that he has, since mounting the saddle on May 29, 2023, taken more than a cursory interest in the wellbeing of the pensioners.
According to him, his administration unlike, the case in the past, has been religious in paying pensioners their monthly entitlements.
He domiciled the blame for whatever perceived disagreement between pensioners and the State Government squarely at the door steps of the NUP leadership in Abia.
Earlier, the National President of the NUP, Comrade Godwin Abumisi, while apologizing for whatever misdemeanour of the Local Chapter, described whatever agreement and documents signed by the State Leadership, as illegal and offensive to all extant labour laws and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He appreciated the Governor for the meeting ,and his decision to review the contentious aspects of the pension arrears payments.
He expressed the willingness of the NUP to cooperate with the Government in the efforts to resolve all the issues.
Other members of the team appointed by the Governor to revisit the issue are the Secretary to the State Government SSG, Chief of Staff CoS to the Governor, Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, and others.
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