Yetunde Oke
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP has condemned the recent registration of an association called “Association of Retirees of State Government of Nigeria” by Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
NUP made the condemnation in a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Godwin Abumisi and General Secretary, Comrade Godwin Amadin and made available to newsmen after its emergency meeting of National Executive Council, NEC, held in Abuja.
The union, therefore, directed the entire national leadership to immediately proceed to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria to challenge the purported registration on the point of law, and to seek Court Injunction restraining the Minister for Labour and Employement, Dr. Muhammad Dingyadi from recognising such association as a Trade Union.
NUP decried the registration of the new union under Pension industry, where NUP exists, and is sufficiently taking care of the interests of all Pensioners in Nigeria for decades inline with the provisions of the Trade Unions Act Cap T.14 (LFN) 2004.
In the same vein, the union condemned the publication issued by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and decried the alleged directive of Dr. Dingyadi to PTAD to issue such publication, while the agreed tripartite Stakeholders meeting of the ministry, PTAD and NUP is still being awaited and the ruling of the National Industrial Court, Jos Judicial Division is still subsisting.
NEC-In-Session therefore directed the National President to approach the National Industrial Court to seek interpretation of the ruling and to obtain exparte Injunction to restrain PTAD from implementing the publication, until the jurisdictional status of the Unions concerned is judicially determined.
Also, NUP expressed dismay over the ugly development, which characterised the process of the State Council elections in Yobe State, where a faction of the electorates sought and secured a court Injunction to stop the election.
NUP demanded that the election be put on hold, until the court order is, either vacated, or ruling delivered, after which the National Secretariat should swing into actions to conduct the election to avoid contempt.
The Union, however, commended the electoral officers that conducted NUP Rivers State Council election on 9th of April 2026.
Meanwhile, the NUP appreciated President Bola Tinubu’s administration for pririotising the welfare of retirees, through the ongoing reforms in the nation’s Pension Industry, especially for releasing Fifty Eight Billion Naira to the Direct Benefits Scheme Pensioners and the Seven Hundred and Fifty Eight Billion Naira disbursed to clear the backlog of accrued rights of the Contributory Pensioners.
It also commended the President for the recent approval for “Exit Benefits” for Contributory Pensioners and also for the inclusion of Nigeria Pensioners in the National Health Insurance Scheme, but appealed for sustainability of the welfare packages while pledging its continued unwavering support to President Tinubu’s administration.
Similarly, the union commended the good gesture of some State Governors, who give priority attention to prompt payment of monthly pensions to their pensioners and payment of backlog arrears of their gratuities, such as the Governors of Kano State, Oyo State, Yobe State, Sokoto State, Ondo State, Rivers State, Gombe State, Jigawa State, Katsina State and condemned the others who care less about the untold hardship on pensioners in their state.
NUP, however, appealed to President Tinubu to prevail on such other State Governors to adopt his reformed welfare policy for their Pensioners.
