By Adebayo Yusuf
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Southwest Zone, has described as irrelevant, the requirements proposed by the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office, NASSCO, for pensioners to receive wage awards.
The Public Relations Officer of NUP, South-West zone, Comrade Olusegun Abatan made this known while addressing newsmen during the zone’s last meeting of the year, held in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
According to Comrade Abatan, NASSCO which is under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, should work with the documents from the payroll of each pensioner in the state of the federation, rather than asking for biometric verification number, BVN and National Identification Number, NIN.
Comrade Abatan said the union took exception to the directives of the agency.
Speaking further, the Oyo NUP Scribe also lauded some southwest governments for prioritising pensioners in their effort to cushion the effects of subsidy removal and urged other state governments to follow in the step of states like Oyo, Ondo, Lagos and Ekiti.
He also welcomed the reappointment of the Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme.
On his part, the NUP National President, Mazi Godwin Abumisi said the union would embark on protest if President Bola Tinubu do not intervene and instruct that the directive by NASSCO be reversed.
Mazi Abumisi said since workers were not given such directives, such should not apply to pensioners.
Chairman, NUP, South West Zone, Comrade Waheed Oloyede, General Secretary, NUP, South West Zone, Elder Actor Zal, Treasurer, NUP, South West Zone, Comrade Lawrence Aina and Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Oyo state council, Chief Isiaka Abolade were dignitaries present at the meeting.
