Seeks President Tinubu, NSIWC, NLC, intervention
Extreme economic hardship and worsening old age illnesses resulting to inability to afford healthcare services, as a result of the outright refusal of the management of the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) to review their pension upward despite countless engagements, have caused untimely death of many pensioners of the Bank.
This is according to a statement authored by the leadership of the affected pensioners’ association.
Operating under the aegis of United Bank for Africa Plc Pensioners’ Welfare Association (UBA Pensioners), the group are the banks’ Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) pensioners.
A statement jointly signed by their National Chairman and General Secretary, Sir Fidelis O. Fapohunda and Franklin Erinle, respectively said; “Like other treasury funded retirees in Nigeria, we are entitled to monthly pension, other entitlements and most importantly; periodic pension increases. But it is so disheartening that Tony Elumelu-led UBA Management has continued to trample on our fundamental human rights, especially when it comes to periodic pension increments.”
The statement further explained that the leadership of the pensioners has used every peaceful and legal means to entreat the management of the United Bank for Africa Plc to increase their meager pension pay in line with the recent consequential adjustment in pension arising from the Implementation of the 2019 National Minimum Wage. They have equally engaged the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) on the matter. The agency, however, has promised to hold the UBA accountable to its responsibility to the pensioners but with no tangible outcome.
“We have had series of engagements with UBA management on the subject matter but all they do is to treat us and such an important issue like trash. That Bank and the Chairman, in particular, has no empathy for the people who laboured to make the Bank what it is today. They don’t care about the stress they put us through coming to meetings. Their inactions towards our plights simply say we should go and die. Their game plan is to frustrate us but we are willing and ready to use our last drop of blood to pursue this matter to any level.
“UBA Plc; a wealthy and leading financial organisation’s lack of empathy for the welfare of even its current workers is apparent in how it treats us. We are bewildered that in the mist of the current extreme suffering occasioned by fuel subsidy removal regime that has worsen and weakened our capability to afford healthcare services, the leadership of the Bank is so hardhearted to increase our pension, a right enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and recently implemented by the Federal Government for its workers. This is nothing but a direct wickedness to us, a crime against humanity,” this statement added.
The statement also cited a recent letter by the leadership of the pensioners dated November 27, 2023, addressed to the Group Managing Director/CEO and noted the Executive Director, Mr. Alex Alozie, where they urged the bank to harken to their plea.
Titled: “Consequential Adjustment in Pension Arising from the Implementation of the National Minimum Wage 2019, duly received and acknowledged with the stamp of the Bank, reads; “As a follow-up to all the correspondences on the above subject matter, since year 2019, we wish to express our disappointment over your reaction thereto. Rather than giving this matter, that is dear to our heart, the seriousness it deserves, your management trivialized and downgraded it to mere joke.
“We noticed that inspite of the unwarranted provocation caused members of our Association and representatives at your meeting on Thursday, November 2, 2023, the Bank still went ahead to pay the same old amount we have been receiving since year 2015. We urge you to implement a new rate of pension to be paid in December 2023. We also expect our monetized medical care for 2023 to be paid before the end of year 2023.” And according to the statement, none of the demands were met by UBA Management.
The pensioners went on to call on President Bola Tinubu, the National Salaries, Incomes and wages Commission, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Civil Society Organisations, the United Nations, Human Rights Organisations and well meaning Nigerians to come to their aid.
“We are being treated less like human beings by the management of UBA Plc. We urge Nigerian Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and all the Federal Government agencies not to *SHUT* their eyes and ears while UBA Management continues to trample on our fundermental human rights.
We equally call on International Bodies on human rights and financial institutions to look into this matter and judge whether what the Bank is doing to us is not inhuman treatment,” the statement added.
Meanwhile earlier in December 2023 when the pensioners raised alarm on the issue through publicactions in various news platforms, UBA spokesperson, Ramon Nasir, said the bank will officially react to this issue. But never did.
