By Egufe Yafugborhi & Akpokona Omafuaire, Warri
THE Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, (Electricity Sector), Delta State chapter has asked the Federal Government to transfer their pension fund to recurrent expenditure and pay same to them on monthly basis even as it also requested the implementation of all agreements signed between government and labour unions in the power sector.

Furthermore, the NUP appealed for payment of all outstanding pensions and arrears without further delay, saying that this was necessary as its members were dying on a daily basis due to hardship.
Chairman of the union, Akpotaghware Benson and the Auditor, Uyovwiare London, made this known in a ststement in Warri yesterday.

The retirees lamented that the failure of the government to meet up with these demands led to their recent protest across the country.

They described as anti-labour, the privatization of PHCN, as according to them, the process violated established conditions of service and the International Labour Organization conventions to which Nigeria was signatory.

“As at today, available records show that over 5000 PHCN employees who retired or died are still being owed their terminal benefits.

“Agreements signed with NUP in 2012 have not been honoured by government. Whereas most disengaged former workers of PHCN who retired with effect from May 1, 2013 have been paid their entitlements, those that retired earlier, who are our members have not been paid.

“Death benefits of most former deceased staff, dating back to 1999 have not been paid, thereby subjecting the bereaved families to untold hardship,” the statement added, and blamed successive managements of PHCN over the alleged mismanagement and ‘’failure to remit agreed allocations to the superannuation funds’’ for caring for retired employees.