Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Akwa Ibom State chapter has applauded Governor Umo Eno for his efforts in improving the welfare of retirees in the state.
This came following Eno’s implementation of minimum pension, pension base uplift as well as ensuring efficient gratuity payment to members.
Addressing a press conference in Uyo on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Union, Pastor Sylvester Nkodo, flanked by the Secretary, Obong Cosmos Essien, and other executive members, recalled how their demands were not attended to by successive governments until Governor Eno’s administration.
Nkodo, who spoke through the Secretary, Obong Essien, further recalled how pensioners were receiving between N800 and N1,500 as monthly pension in the past until Governor Eno augmented it to about N48,000 to meet with the economic realities.
His words, “Many of the pensioners before the coming of Pastor Umo Eno were receiving Eight Hundred Naira (N800.00), One Thousand, some One Thousand Five Hundred Naira pension. We had been pleading with the past governors in various ways, in writing and so on, but one of them only showed some sympathy. We went to the extent of going into politics and then brought all our Twenty Eight Thousand pensioners to vote for the governors, but none listened to us.
His words, “When Umo Eno came in, it was just a little appeal that we made. He came to establish what we call minimum pension of Twenty Thousand in lieu of the Thirty Thousand Naira which was the minimum wage of workers. And that went in line with the constitutional provision. Then from that time, he alleviated the problems of pensioners to an extent. Anybody that got one thousand then from April last year started to earn Twenty One Thousand Naira, those earning Five Thousand Naira started getting Twenty Five Thousand Naira.
“Later, he started paying N27,000 in lieu of N80,000 minimum wage to members, those earning N1000 now get N48,000.”
The Chairman also commended the Governor for releasing the sum of N78 Billion for the payment of gratuities to all sectors of pensioners which include: Civil, Local Government, Retired Primary School Teachers, and Next-of-Kin.
He hailed the Governor for the establishment of a free medical insurance health care scheme for members, saying that such a gesture has brought immense relief and improved the living standards of pensioners in the state.
“The payment of this gratuity has alleviated the problem of so many pensioners and also those who were dead and could not be buried were buried, because next-of-kin were still included. We have seen the sympathy this man has shown to the pensioners and his efforts for us to survive. Pension and monthly allowances are paid as and when due, and every level of pensioners go along at the same page with civil servants,'” he added.
The union, therefore, pledged its support to Governor Umo Eno’s administration, saying that members will come out en masse to vote for him come 2027 as they had never had it so good before.
