The Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC) in Kano has demanded urgent payment of over an N36billion outstanding gratuities and death benefits of retirees.
Besides, the labour union cautioned some state ministries, parastatals and agencies to henceforth stop the illegal and indiscriminate deductions from the monthly pension of the retirees.
Addressing journalists at a peaceful protest organised in solidarity with the State Union of Pensioners, NLC Chairman Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir, lamented the precarious condition of retirees since the stagnation of their entitlement in the last six years.
Mingibir, who led the mass rally of workers and pensioners from the Emir’s house on the state road to Government House, raised concern about what he described as illegal deductions by some ministries and government agencies from the depreciated monthly pension of retirees.
According to Mingibir, between January 2021 to August 2022 alone, over N3.4 billion were outrightly deducted from the monthly pensions of retirees from both state and local governments, a deduction that neither harvested to Pension Trust Fund nor deposited to known accounts.
The labour leader specifically indicted the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board (SPHCMB); State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB); Kano State Water Board; State Housing Corporation and the Ministry of Local Government as major defaulters urged the state government to intervene.
“As we speak, the current outstanding gratuities and other benefits as of June 2022 stand at over N36 billion. In the case of unremitted 17 per cent contributions from defaulting government agencies that stand at over N69 billion. The deduction was part of our contributions from the pension which were supposed to be remitted to pension trustees. These agencies failed to remit the monies.
“Apart from that, retirees have been suffering from another indiscriminate deduction in the name of tax which is against section 173 (4) of the Constitution, which clear kicked against payment of tax from the pension. This is worrisome despite the fact that pensioners had never enjoyed pension increases, even when the Federal Government passed the law on new pensions and new minimum wages.
On his part, the Chairman of, the Kano State Union of Pensioners, Comrade Salisu Ahmad Gwale, regretted that over 34,000 members of the union are living in abject poverty because of the economic devaluation of their monthly entitlement.
He expressed concern that several retirees have died while struggling to receive their benefits which present and successive governments had shown little or no concern about.
Receiving the protestants, Chief of Staff to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Alh. Usman Bala, who attributed the accumulated pension liabilities to stag neglect of the previous administration however assured the commitment of the present government to resolve the challenges.
Bala, who doubles as Head of Service, specifically accused former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s administration of being complicit in the management of pension funds and remittance, stressing that Ganduje will soon unveil a sustainable policy solution to address the suffering of retirees in the state.
