Reps plan to confront Buhari over pension matter

Not happy with government’s failure to meet its obligation to pensioners, Nigeria House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, said the lawmakers are ready to go and meet with President Muhammadu Buhari over “this serious matter” if it comes up to that.

He also said that the House will this Thursday (today) summon Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and her Labour counterpart, Senator Chris Ngige to make some explanations.

Also among those to be summoned are Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, as well as Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita.

The Speaker said there is urgent need for them to appear before the House to let Nigerians know why men and women who served the country with all their might are always meant to wail for so long to be paid their pension.

Dogara’s statement was sequel to the visit to his office by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), led by its national president, Comrade Abel Afolayan.

“We will move the motion and pass the resolution on Thursday. The ministers and the relevant officers must come to see us at plenary on live television next Thursday.

“We also invited key members of your union to attend the session and hear what the ministers will say. Let them come and take centre stage and tell Nigerians what can be done to get out of this situation.

“If it appears they have no solutions, then we will ask them for explanations. There has to be a position before we can all together go and meet with Mr. President over this very serious matter,” Dogara said.

Afoloyan had in his speech earlier, disclosed that they decided to approach the House over their plight as a last resort because all avenues to get the government to pay their pension benefits have failed.

He said that the 2017 liabilities for pensioners was “under-defined” and explained that while the 2017 proposals was N302.4billion, the executive only submitted N109,123billion leaving a difference of N193.282billion.

“Regarding Contributory Pension Scheme, CBS, we have gathered the following facts and figures: a total of N91,914, 899,000.00 was requested for in 2016 federal government appropriation bill, but the National Assembly approved N50, 195,808, 918, resulting in a shortfall of N41, 719, 090, 082. 00.

“Out of N50, 195,808, 918 appropriated for 2016, only N18,823,428,342.00 had so far been released into Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption, RBBR.

“Pensioners have become endangered species and prone to all kinds of diseases, which were age-related and needed money for treatment,’’ Afoloyan said.

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