Pensioners at war over unremitted N70bn check-off dues

Pensioners under the aegis of the Federal Civil Service Pensioners (FCSP) – a breakaway faction of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) – have traded words over check-off dues accrued from the payment of pension arrears.

While the FCSP in a letter sent to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, asking him to stop the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) from paying the check-up dues to its rival union, the NUP said members of FCSP had no locus standi any longer to speak for federal civil service.

PTAD recently released N70 million to the pensioners which is one per cent of the N70 billion check-off dues accruing from the payment of pension arrears.

Already, FCSP has concluded plans to set up a committee to carry out the registration of the union as an independent body.

National Chairman of FCSP, Omeiza Sunday said that the protracted impasse between his group and the NUP was occasioned by the blatant refusal of the National Headquarters of the NUP to give the union commensurate allocation of the 55 per cent share of the one per cent Check-off Dues accruable to the Federal Civil Service Pensioners Branch (FCSPB).

Sunday explained that the Police Pension Department under PTAD, Customs, Immigration and Prisons Department, Parastatals Pension Department, and all the 36 councils of the union which are affiliates under the NUP umbrella collect their check-off dues directly from the source of payment.

“But the case is not the same with the Federal Civil Service Pensioners. This exceptional act of deprivation of the rights and privileges of the Branch calls for curious concern.”

But the NUP, through its spokesperson, Bunmi Ogunkolade, described members of FCSP as “disgruntled few elements” who are seeking attention because they lost out during the power-play before the dissolution of past executive members. (The Nation)