Threaten legal action against governors

By Dayo Johnson

RETIREES in the South-West geopolitical zone, under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, yesterday, threatened to drag the 36 state governors to court over their failure to pay accumulated arrears of gratuities and pension in the country.

•A cross section of pensioners protesting unpaid benefits . Inset is Ivor Takor of Centre for Pension Right Advocay.

They blamed the failure of the state governors to pay their gratuities and pension regularly on “the reckless spending on humongous salaries and allowances of political office holders.”

They promised to approach the court “in the next two months to test the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) if it is lawful or not to owe them their entitlements.”

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Addressing newsmen at the end of their zonal meeting in Akure, the South West Zonal Chairman of NUP, Chief Ayo Kumapayi and the spokesperson Olusegun Abatan said the court option was to compel them to pay.

Kumapayi said: “The legal action became imperative in view of the rising cases of sick and dead pensioners unceremoniously as a result of unpaid entitlements by the state governments of Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun and Ondo as well as other parts of the country.

“Humongous salaries and allowances of public office holders especially senators and House Representatives members who take home N13million and N14million monthly need to be reviewed, how can those people wbe collecting such huge money in a country where 80% are battling to meet daily meal.”