The Nigerian Union of Pensioners who retired from the Nigerian Postal Service (Nipost) has returned damning indictment on the management of the Service for allegedly withholding their 69 months pension arrears.
The retirees have also threatened fire and brimstone saying they will continue to protest the sufferings they have been subjected to as a result of the unpaid pensions.
The pensioners who picketed the Lafiaji Post Office, Obalende, Lagos on Monday said the protest took place simultaneously in other post office branches in Apapa and the Lagos Island and some other states.
Elijah Akindutire, chairman of the Lagos chapter of the union, said: “The government owes us 69 months of pension arrears. Most of us came here on empty stomach. That woman could have died because the government did not see us as important enough to pay what they owe us after serving meritoriously for years.
“We will not leave the place until we get an alert that our pension arrears have been paid. Some of us retired as far back as 2005. Some were paid while some were not. Even those who were paid got a fraction of what they were owed.I retired in 2006 and got just a little out of the pension the government owed me since then. The same thing is applicable to other members of the union.”
Akindutire noted that the union had previously given the government an ultimatum which expired on December 11, 2012.
Also speaking, Mukaila Ogunboje, national public relations officer of the Union, said the pensioners can not continue to live under the cons by the government.
According to him, the union had recorded 420 deaths among its members since they started agitating for the payment of the arrears.
Mr. Darlington Ajitemita, a civil right activist, who joined the protesters, said the government was being deliberately wicked to the pensioners.
“You used millions to paint the bridge but you can not pay them their money. Are you not being wicked,” he queried the government” Ajitemita said