By JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

THE Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, has lamented the non payment of the 14 months pension arrears contrary to the directives of President Goodluck Jonathan for immediate payment of the arrears of the check- off dues owed the union.

The union in a statement by its General Secretary, Elder Actor Zal in Abuja, said out of the 14 months pension arrears directed by the president only six months amounting N90 million had been paid.

President Jonathan had late last year after the union threatened to embark on industrial action over the non payment of the outstanding arrears intervened and entered into agreement with the leadership of NUP, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC.  The President directed the Head of Service of the Federation, HOSF, to pay all the outstanding arrears of the union’s check- off dues.

But the union lamented  the failure of the  federal government to abide by the agreement.

The statement read in part, “The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, having exhausted all avenues to compel the Federal Government through its agencies to address the deplorable plight of its members, coupled with the withholding of its check-off dues for about 14 months decided to embark on a mass protest on the 10th April 2013 under the leadership of NLC/TUC in solidarity with the union as injury to one is injury to all.

“The federal government having seen the seriousness and commitment of the labour movement to carry out its inention wisely invited the leadership of NUP, NLC and TUC to a roundtable discussion towards addressing the grievances of the pensioners.

In the end, an agreement wasreached which culminated inthe presidential directives to the Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF) to pay all the outstanding arrears of the union’s check-off dues aside the Commitment set up (headed by the SGF) to work assiduously towards the payment of all outstanding entitlements.

“This has resulted in the HOSF taking bold steps to set up a 25-member committee drawn from the union and the civil service  to aggressively address the problems of the pensioners. The union is eternally grateful to the new HOSF for giving its members the opportunity to serve in the Committee which will go a long way in fast tracking pension payments.