States Owing Pensioners N330b- Union

Pensioners are being owed N330 billion pension and gratuities in south west states except Lagos State.

Dr. Olusegun Abatan, spokesperson of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) of the zone,  revealed this in Ibadan on Wednesday at after its zonal meeting.

Abatan told newsmen that Osun leads the debtor states with unpaid pensions and gratuities amounting to N145 billion, adding that unpaid pensions arrears and gratuities got compounded during the tenure of Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as governor of the state.

He accused Araegbesola of not improving the situation before he left the office..

Abatan revealed that Ondo, Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti states owed N58 billion, N55 billion, N43 billion and N40 billion, respectively.

He said Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo. had paid about N11 billion out of the N43 billion owed by his predecessors, adding that Lagos State was the first to embrace the Contributory Pension Scheme.

Lagos State pensioners were also lucky to have had responsible leaders in government who took pensioners’ issues seriously, Abatan said, adding that the union had mandated each NUP council to meet their respective governors and negotiate on how to reduce and settle the arrears and where necessary go to court.

Abatan appealed to NUP members in the geopolitical zone to vote wisely at the forthcoming 2023 general elections and elect leaders that would address pensioners’ challenges.