Under Gov Chime, Enugu is Better, Safer: now Pensioners Rushing to Reside in
Enugu


"…Mr John Nebo, Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the state
said … retired workers from the state and its environs were registering in the
state…"We need an extension… The number of pensioners is underestimated because
what we found out is that all federal workers that are not Enugu State workers,
from everywhere are registering in Enugu and we don't drive them away. It has
sky-rocketed the number so much. Enugu State pensioners are at the most 4,000,
but with the influx of these people, they are up to 7,000 now. ''

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Retirees call for extension of verification exercise in Enugu
October 6, 2011
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
234NEXT.COM

Pensioners in Enugu State have called on the Head of Service of the Federation
to extend the ongoing verification of pensioners to accommodate the influx of
retirees in the state.

Mr John Nebo, Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the state,
made the call on Thursday in Enugu.

He said the call became necessary because retired workers from the state and its
environs were registering in the state.

"We need an extension. We have already told our union in Abuja. The number of
pensioners is underestimated because what we found out is that all federal
workers that are not Enugu State workers, from everywhere are registering in
Enugu and we don't drive them away.

"It has sky-rocketed the number so much. Enugu State pensioners are at the most
4,000, but with the influx of these people, they are up to 7,000 now. ''

He also said that the extension would enable the union and the pension
verification team to visit sick and bed-ridden pensioners in line with their
schedule.

The secretary also listed other challenges affecting the exercise to include a
lack of electricity to power computers, shortage of seats and fans as well as
slow process.

He said the generator and chairs used by the verification team from Abuja were
provided by the retirees.

On the amount owed pensioners, Nebo said that all federal workers who retired
since 2000 had not been paid their pensions, while those who retired since 1998
had not received their gratuity.

The secretary appealed to the government to pay pensioners promptly to lessen
their suffering, especially during the verification.

Reacting to the development, the Coordinator of the Pension Taskforce, Mr Godwin
Okora, said the extension was necessary to afford the team ample time to
complete the exercise.

He urged pensioners to take part in the verification exercise in any part of the
country as the system was centralised.

He attributed the slow pace of the exercise to the delay in Internet
connectivity.

Some of the pensioners who spoke to NAN commended the government for the
exercise, which they said was well-organised.

They, however, expressed hope that it would be the last of the periodic
exercise.

Mr Bright Ewuka, who retired in 1993, said he had not received any pension or
gratuity in the past 17 years.

The Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) is on a
nationwide revalidation and biometrics capturing of credentials and record of
pensioners who fall under its purview.

Only pensioners who retired before July 1, 2007, are participating in the
exercise, which will end on Oct. 15.

NAN