NIGERIAN Union of Pensioners, NUP, has lamented that some retirees still earn as low as N1,500 pension, demanding an urgent review to give pensioners living pensions against the hard times.

NUP at its South-South zonal forum in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, highlighted the growing hardship members were going through with the current state of the nation’s economy.

In a communique, yesterday, at the end of the gathering, the NUP, however, praised Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, for releasing N14 billion within nine months in office for payment of gratuities to retired primary school teachers, civil pensioners and local government retirees.

The communique by William Seleipere and Cosmas Essien, Zonal Chairman and Secretary respectively, read: “The South-South Council observed with dismay that some pensioners are still earning N1,500, N2,000 and N3,000 and, therefore, urges all state governments to harmonise increment on low-income earning pensioners.

“We also observed that most of the communiques issued at the end of our meetings are not attended to by the state governments to ameliorate the plight of pensioners. We call on all NUP state councils to reach out to different state governments to ensure implementation of most of our recommendations.”

They appealed to the Akwa Ibom State government to establish a pension commission, board or bureau to handle subtle issues of pensioners in the state.

The forum rejected the idea of merging the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, with the Federal Ministry of Finance, stressing that the good works of PTAD in the interest of pensioners were being appreciated.

The body called on all state governors to include pensioners in their palliative schemes while appreciating state governors that have done the same already.

Earlier during deliberations on the forum, Amuboh Orhoghene, Akwa Ibom State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment pledged his ministry’s consultation with the union and other stakeholders for the continued push for a review of all relevant Labour laws to improve the welfare of Pensioners and other workers in Nigeria. (The Nation)