‘Refund illegal pension, allowances’, NLC tells former Zamfara governor Yari

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the former governor of Zamfara state Abubakar Yari to refund to the state coffers what it called the illegal pension and welfare benefits he had collected since leaving office.

The NLC which was reacting to the letter Yari demanding for his pension benefits from the current administration, said that the former governor seems to have forgotten how he scuttled the rights of Zamfara state workers who he adamantly refused to pay the last national minimum wage of N18, 000.

In a statement by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, the union described as unconstitutional, unlawful and illegal the penchant by State Governors in connivance with state houses of assembly to award to themselves humungous and dubious ‘pension’ and ‘retirement’ benefits.

Wabba said; “Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar who is now occupying the office of the “former Governor of Zamfara State” seems to have forgotten how he scuttled the rights of Zamfara state workers who he adamantly refused to pay the last national minimum wage of N18,000.“

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“Instead, he chose to trample on our laws and illegally paid workers N7500 minimum wage instead. Even the N7500 he insisted on paying was never regular. Mr. Abubabar left office owing workers and pensioners in arrears,” he added.

The enraged NLC president added that; “As a matter of fact, Mr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar’s attitude to governance and workers welfare so pauperized the people of Zamfara State that are once haven of peace in Nigeria which suddenly turned into an enclave of kidnap-for-ransom, armed robbery and sundry anti-social vices under his watch.”

“We also wish to use this medium to describe as unconstitutional, unlawful and illegal the penchant by State Governors in connivance with supine state houses of assembly to award to themselves humungous and dubious ‘pension’ and ‘retirement’ benefits. Nigeria’s Pension Act stipulates that a worker (not a political office holder) is only entitled to pension benefits after a minimum of ten years of work.”

The NLC leader also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to thoroughly “investigate numerous petitions of financial impropriety levelled against the immediate past Governor of Zamfara State and diligently pursue the conviction of Mr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar for public interest and as a deterrence to others like him.

“We also wish to use this medium to describe as unconstitutional, unlawful and illegal the penchant by State Governors in connivance with supine state houses of assembly to award to themselves humungous and dubious ‘pension’ and ‘retirement’ benefits. Nigeria’s Pension Act stipulates that a worker (not a political office holder) is only entitled to pension benefits after a minimum of ten years of work,” he added.

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