Regina Otokpa 
In commemoration of the 2024 Pensioners Day, National leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to consider the sacrifices of pensioners to the country and make their lives more meaningful by finding sustainable solutions to their plight. President of NUP, Comrade Godwin Abumisi, in a ceremony to mark the annual event yesterday in Abuja, themed: “The Unresolved Economic Hardship in Nigeria and its Traumatic Effects on the Lives of Nigerian Pensioners/Older Persons,” regretted that some pensioners have died prematurely due to inability to afford drugs and other essentials, as a result of the harsh economy further worsened by the removal of fuel subsidy.
While commending the Federal Government for the 20 per cent pension increase already paid to some members, the NUP urged government to enable pensioners’ access to free medical care, transport fares but most importantly, payment of the 2015 pension review, payment of the outstanding N33billion from the N78 billion owed Retired Nigeria Airways workers, when the company was liquidated in 2004. He said: “Pensioners represent those who worked to build the country during their active working lives. They are part of those who built the country to what it is today, such as the infrastructure, the capital formation, the development of the educated classes, are all fruits of their past efforts and service to the nation. “Justice therefore demands that all those who worked to bring the country to where it is today are not only adequately rewarded by the payment of their hard-earned entitlements, but should be as well recognized and respected for their heroic labour past by way of granting them access to free medical care, free transport services etc. as obtained in other civilized climes of the world.”
Abumisi added:”We would like to commend the past administration under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for the approval and payment of the various pension reviews to the deserving pensioners. “But regrettably, as I address you, the pension review of 2015 was omitted and has suffered series of setback as it has not been paid, despite all efforts invested in the struggle for its actualization. “We therefore humbly appeal to the Federal Government under the able leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to come to our aid by putting in place necessary government instruments towards making funds available for the payment of this omitted pension review of 2015, which would serve as another form of palliatives, to put smile on the faces of the benefitting pensioners across the country. “The Federal Government in its wisdom decided to liquidate the Nigeria Airways in 2004, of which both the workers and the existing pensioners were paid off by the Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR’s administration.
