Unpaid Pension: Pensioner Slumps During Peaceful Protest In Kano

Protesting pensioners in Kano were on Thursday when one of them suddenly collapsed.

The pensioners were protesting over unpaid N30.900 billion accumulated pension in organised by Kano state branch of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the state.

The pensioners, who started their march from the Emir’s palace along state road to Government House Kano, carried placards with several inscriptions indicating “Pay us our pension arrears”, Resume compliance to pension laws”, “Monthly pension deductions must be stopped and monthly pension is non-taxable by law, why deduct on it?”

Speaking shortly after submitting the Pensioners’ demand to Head of Service, Usman Bala, the state chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kabiru Ado Minijibir, who was there in solidarity with the protesting pensioners, said, the state owes 32,600 pensioners accumulated N36.900 billion unpaid arrears.

He said, as of June 2022, 18,111 pensioners were unpaid, adding that this problem has resulted in the deaths of many while others have taken ill with no money to settle hospital bills.

Minjibir explained that the refusal by many government agencies and parastatals to pay 17 percent of deducted pension money has now reached over N60 billion.

According to Kano focus, the NLC Chairman prayed that government would henceforth stop the illegal deductions of pensioners’ money, which he noted contravenes the 2016 Pension Law which prohibited deductions of pensioners’ funds and has mandated agencies and parastatals to pay their due as at when due.

“We also hope that Government would set aside special funds to commence the immediate payment of the unsettled N30.900 billion funds, and also ensure that the unwarranted cut in thier money immediately stopped.

“Failure to this might results in the pensioners taking the last option which is legal action, but we know and believes that Governor Ganduje has his people in his heart as can be seen in the monthly payment of pension allowances and salaries”.

Responding the State Head of Service and who is also the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Usman Bala, reminded that the accumulated unpaid pension arrears could be traced to the Government of Senator Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso which Governor Ganduje inherited.