Pensioners in the South-West geopolitical zone under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, has called for immediate reduction of the salaries and allowances given to the lawmakers in the country.
The pensioners, who are currently crying for their long time entitlement in the hands of state governors, said humongous salaries extended to the lawmakers and other public office holders has crippled their chances of earning their entitlements from the government.
Addressing newsmen at the end of their zonal meeting in Akure, on Thursday, the South West Zonal Chairman of NUP, Chief Ayo Kumapayi and the spokesperson Olusegun Abatan lamented the agony pensioners faced due to unpaid benefits.
They threatened to drag the 36 state governors in the country to court over their failure to pay accumulated arrears of gratuities and pension.
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The pensioners blamed the failure of the state governors to pay their gratuities and pension regularly on “the reckless spending on humongous salaries and allowances of political office holders.”
Going further, they vowed to approach the court “in the next two months to test the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) if it is lawful or not to owe them their entitlements.”
Kumapayi said: “The legal action became imperative in view of the rising cases of sick and dead pensioners unceremoniously as a result of unpaid entitlements by the state governments of Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun and Ondo as well as other parts of the country.
“Humongous salaries and allowances of public office holders especially senators and House Representatives members who take home N13million and N14million monthly need to be reviewed, how can those people we collecting such huge money in a country where 80% are battling to meet daily meal.”
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