ARFESPON Demands FG Intervention On Outstanding 12 Months Pension Arrears, Illegal Deductions

Chairman, Association of Retired Federal Senior Public Officers of Nigeria (ARFESPON), Lagos chapter, Mr. Olufemi Odewabi

By LOVETH AZODO, Lagos

The Association of Retired Federal Senior Public Officers of Nigeria (ARFESPON), Lagos chapter, has urged the federal government to intervene for the settlement of outstanding 12 months pension arrears owed to federal senior public officers’ pensioners and on illegal deductions on their pensions

The Chairman of ARFESPPON, Mr. Olufemi Odewabi, made the request at the ARFESPON 4th anniversary celebration recently held in Iba, Ojo, Lagos state.

Odewabi told OPTIMUM TIMES that in December 2014, twelve months arrears were paid, and when further appeal were made in July 2016, another arrears were paid up till May 2017 while the outstanding 12 months arrears of the 33percent is yet to be paid.

Speaking on illegal deductions, he said “Since 2010, there have been 20 percent reduction issue. When Jonathan approved 53.4%, for no reason, the secretary to the then government, Anyim Pius Anyim, set up another committee to look into the issue of pensions again, the committee came up with 33%.

“We are pressing for that outstanding 20% , that reduction is illegal because constitutionally pension doesn’t attract tax, now they take 10% for tax, housing funds etc accumulated to the 20.4% which is very illegal according to section 173 sub-section 1-4; and surprisingly the members of this committee includes : representative of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), salary/wages commission, office to the secretary to the government, it was as if none of them has seen the constitution of Nigeria before that they arrive at that”.

“My question is if a new wage is approved, on what premises will they base the pensioners grading, because if the 20.4% is not there then the cheating will continue, so they must solve that before they place pensioners on whatever new salary they want to. They are still owing the 33% for one year. They should pay the 20% starting from July 2010 till date ” he said.

“Secondly, this issue of 1% reduction from our pensions by NUP for no reason is very illegal. Pension is not a trade, there’s no where under the constitution that allows someone to form a union. They should stop the reduction with immediate effect possibly refund all they have taken. You can form an association but not a trade union.

Odewabi also mentioned that their NUP membership was under duress, saying “We discovered the deduction is not only done by NUP, they collaborated with government officials to deduct the money. They collect up to 18million per month for nothing, pensioners don’t get any help from the union. We have tried to reach PTAD, it is not compulsory to join a union, many of us said we don’t want to join but they refused.

“We are begging the present government to see to the plight of the pensioners. No body is happy when death is close and your dues are not paid. It is as if government is praying for our death. We have heard some of them say pensioners are unproductive, they don’t add to the economy of the country” he said