FEPPPAN Urges President Tinubu To Include DBS Pensioners In N35,000 Palliative Agreement Reached With Labour

…says pensioners deserved care, respect 

By Linda Musa

The Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association (FEPPPAN), has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to capture the Defined Benefit Scheme pensioners in the payment of N35,000 slated to pay workers for 6 months effect from September 2023, as contained in the agreement between the Federal government and organised labour.

FEPPPAN also begged President Tinubu not to forsake or forget pensioners in all his governance dispositions, and also not to deny the senior citizens of Nigeria their entitlements, rights, including palliatives, for any reason.In a message to commemorate this year pensioners’ day jointly signed by its Acting President General and General Secretary, 

Alhaji Babaji Magaji and Franklin O. Erinle, the union further said that Nigeria senior citizens deserve respect, care and empathy for all their efforts and contributions to nation building, therfore their welfare should be prioritised by government.

The pensioners’ Union in the message also greet their members and wishes them healing, good health and long life.

The message in part said; “The leadership of the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria brings you, its members across the country, warm greetings on this special day being National Day for Senior Citizens in Nigeria.

“Please recall that the immediate past President of the Federation, Mohammad Buhari, through his then Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, at the first Presidential Summit on Ageing held in Abuja in 2022, declared October 5 every year as National Day for Senior Citizens in Nigeria.

“Therefore, FEPPPAN leadership thought it wise to specially shower you with greetings of divine healing and restoration, refreshing good health, long life and prosperity in your families. 

“You are FEPPPAN’s greatest asset and the lifeline of the Union. Therefore, we cherish you and will continue to do the required best to protect and fight for your interests come rain, come shine.

“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal government to please remember that the Pensioners/Senior Citizens of this great country were the hands, power and wisdom that lifted our dear country high and set her in the path of progress, growth and development.

“We plead with him, he being a Senior Citizen too, not to sit and watch the  efforts of these  heroes and heroines (Senior Citizens) be in vain. He should not forsake or forget us in all his governance dispositions. We urge him not to in any way, at any time, deny the Senior Citizens of Nigeria their entitlements, rights, including palliatives, for any reason.

“The Senior Citizens of this country deserve all the respect, care and empathy for all their efforts and contributions to nation building. 

“To this end, we commend our government for  engraving this day in our National Calendar. 

“We equally pour encomium on the proactive leadership style of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR in ensuring regular payment of pensions of our members and say kudos to you, Mr. President. We equally urge you to please use your presidential powers to entreat State Governments to replicate the Federal Government’s empathetic regular payment of pensions to all their Pensioners. 

“We also commend the Presidents and the entire leadership of Organised Labour for reaching the agreements that averted the loomed industrial action. We, the pensioners, are pleased that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government reasoned and considered the plights of Nigerian workers and citizens at large in this era of harsh economic situation caused by the unavoidable removal of fuel subsidy. 

“We urge that the agreements reached be  implemented  immediately to mitigate the suffering of Nigerians.

“Finally, we crave the indulgence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to ensure that all the SENIOR CITIZENS (Pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme) being paid by the Federal Government are captured under item Number one (1) of the agreements reached with the Organised Labour for the payment of N35,000 monthly for 6 months with effect from September 2023.”