May Day: Anambra pensioners dying without retirement benefits, NLC cries out…

Anambra State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has decried the condition of pensioners in the state, stating that many of them are dying without being paid their retirement benefits.

The State’s Chairman of NLC, Humphrey Emeka Nwafor disclosed this in his address on the occasion of the workers’ celebration on Monday at the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, on Monday.

While commending the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, for his efforts in workers’ welfare, Nwafor implored the governor to look into the case of retirees in the state.

This is to enable the retirees to start off something that will help them take care of their old age and families. It is painful to report that some of these retirees are dying of hunger and, most times, they find it difficult to take care of their families and dependents.

It is on record that since 2014 the contributory pension scheme started in the state, it seems that the scheme was designed not to succeed as monies deducted from workers’ salaries were not remitted regularly to the appropriate quarters. The non-adherence to the pension scheme laws has made the organized labour take a stand that the scheme be scrapped and monies deducted from workers refunded back to them.

The Congress further stated that the state had not maintained full payment of the new minimum wage that was passed into law in 2019.

It said,” Congress desires to bring to your kind attention that the new minimum wage of N30,000 and its consequential adjustment has not been fully implemented in the state.

The NLC also urged the state government to implement the new retirement age for teachers as obtained in some other states 40 years of service or 65 years of age, whichever comes first, reminding the governor that states less viable than Anambra had already started the implementation.

Continuing, the NLC added, ”Congress requests for prompt promotion, conversion, conducive working environment and functional working materials for effective service delivery in the various ministries and to enhance productivity. Congress rejects the extension of service after retirement: the request for extension of service after retirement in the service should not be encouraged so as to give way for upcoming civil servants to get to the echelon.

It will encourage the upcoming ones to put in their best to ensure that the organizational goal/objectives are achieved. We appeal to Mr Governor to ensure that this request is upheld.