By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — PENSIONERS in the country, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, yesterday, told the Federal Government not to spend the bailout funds from the Paris Club on bogus projects.

The union also pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to extend what it described as the ‘windfall’ to pensioners by paying them backlog of their pension arrears, declaring that it was constitutionally due for another pension increase since last year.

Buhari

National President of NUP, Dr. Abel Afolayan, who made the plea at the 15th edition of Pensioners Day in Abuja, said “most times, they (government) spend money on bogus projects because it is from there they get their own kickbacks. They cannot get kickback from gratuity and pensions.”

While advising members of the union to monitor how the Paris Club money will be spent, he said NUP was compiling names of pensioners to ascertain the actual amount required from government for their pensions.

The NUP leader also requested the National Assembly to particularly investigate how state governors spent the bailout funds given to them by the Federal Government.

Afolayan lamented that pensioners in the country were facing untold hardships due to non-payment of their arrears, and called on President Buhari to fish out Abudul Rasheed Maina, ex-Head of the Presidential Taskforce on Pension during former President Jonathan’s administration, who they alleged, diverted billions of  pension funds.