LG pensioners protest in Niger over non-payment of three years benefits

Local Government pensioners in Niger State on Friday staged a protest over the non-payment of over three years benefits by the state government.

The Chairman, Pensioners Solidarity Movement in the state, Muhammad Edugi, led the group on peaceful protest to the state’s Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs.

“The PSM has watched with great concern the scenario in which pensioners are unable to access their full retirement benefits from the pension board since the amended pension law of October, 2017,” he said.

Edugi urged the state government to pay their entitlements from October 2017 to October 2020.

He said the pension board started paying 30 per cent gratuity with gross underpayment and later on stopped payment without any reason.

He alleged that the 30 per cent payment of gratuity was in violation of the amended pension law of October 2017 in the state, and called on government to stop payment of pensioners two weeks into the preceding month and harmonise it with that of the payment of the state’s workers.

Edugi demanded that 7.5 per cent contributions by the pensioners with the Pension Funds Administrators be refunded back to the contributors in accordance with the amended law of 1992 of the state.

He also urged the government to pay death gratuities to late pensioners, saying it was another area of great concern to the families of their deceased colleagues.

Responding to the protesters, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, assured the group that he would forward their demand to the Commissioner, Abdulmalik Daji, as he was not in the office.

Also responding, the Director-General of the Niger State Pension Board, Alhaji Usman Ahmed, appealed to the group to be patient, saying the state government was working toward making funds available to pay pensioners.