NTA Retirees Protest Non-Payment Of Pension, Gratuities

The retirees of the Nigerian Television Authority have lamented the non-payment of about 15 months pension arrears by the federal government.
The pensioners, who stormed the Ogun state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta on Thursday, lamented that their situation has become worrisome and unbearable.
They complained that many of them, numbering about 2,000, have not been paid and the federal institutions responsible are unconcerned.
Speaking on behalf of the pensioners, the national president of NTA contributory pensioners’ association,  Kayode Da-Silva decried the ‘inhuman and inconsiderate’ actions of the federal government over the payment of their gratuities.
Da-Silva said there is no appreciable improvement from the government, despite having various deliberations with them.
He also lamented that some of the federal contributory pensioners still earn less than N10,000 monthly.
He said, “we find it necessary to intimate the federal government and the general public with the realities of our time.  We cannot continue to suffer in silence.
“The situation is unbearable and intolerable, it needs to be addressed urgently.
“It is disturbing and uncomplimentary that members of the CPS have not been paid up till now and the federal institutions responsible cannot be bothered.
“We are appealing to both the federal government and PENCOM to give us our due.”
The NTACOPAN president, however, appealed to the federal government to see to their plight by authorizing and approving appropriate salary increase for federal pensioners.
He urged the PENCOM to release the template used for the computation of technical benefits of pensioners under the contributory scheme.
Da-Silva stressed that one year of pre-retirement verification enrolment with National Pension Commission is enough to solve all their challenges.
He further stressed that the government should also make the pensioners beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Scheme.