L
LequteMan
Guest
Retired military men in the country are planning a showdown with the Nigerian government over unpaid pension, The Nation reports.
The nationwide protest will climax on Wednesday July 13, 2016, at Aso Rock gate, Abuja, by 0900 hrs, reports say.
“We continue to demand our pension rights. We have paid our dues in patriotic service to this nation. We deserve our pension rights when we are alive, not when we are dead," cordinator of the protest, Col. Azubuike Nass, said. “This nation (Nigeria) is not too poor to pay our constitutional pension rights. We can not be intimidated into silence on this matter.
He insisted that the 53% pay increase for pensioners was duly approved by Federal Government in 2010. and regretted that government resisted to pay it for years.
“While yet unpaid, government in 2013 slashed off 20% as tax (remaining 33%). It was clearly illegal to tax pension. With much protest pressure, government in January 2015 started paying it in bits spread over 3 yrs, as if to allow us slowly die off. We objected to it.
“We suspended protest to allow the new government budget for payment of the balance in 2016. Budget 2016 turns out to be same token bits spread for 2 yrs. This is not acceptable. 33% is the smaller part of our unpaid pension rights. Harmonizing our pay rate with those of serving colleagues in line with 2011 Minimum Wage, is still dragging. Military pensioners will be set to resume protests at the Presidency to demand payment of balance of 33% this year 2016. We get set for series of protests.”
The nationwide protest will climax on Wednesday July 13, 2016, at Aso Rock gate, Abuja, by 0900 hrs, reports say.
“We continue to demand our pension rights. We have paid our dues in patriotic service to this nation. We deserve our pension rights when we are alive, not when we are dead," cordinator of the protest, Col. Azubuike Nass, said. “This nation (Nigeria) is not too poor to pay our constitutional pension rights. We can not be intimidated into silence on this matter.
He insisted that the 53% pay increase for pensioners was duly approved by Federal Government in 2010. and regretted that government resisted to pay it for years.
“While yet unpaid, government in 2013 slashed off 20% as tax (remaining 33%). It was clearly illegal to tax pension. With much protest pressure, government in January 2015 started paying it in bits spread over 3 yrs, as if to allow us slowly die off. We objected to it.
“We suspended protest to allow the new government budget for payment of the balance in 2016. Budget 2016 turns out to be same token bits spread for 2 yrs. This is not acceptable. 33% is the smaller part of our unpaid pension rights. Harmonizing our pay rate with those of serving colleagues in line with 2011 Minimum Wage, is still dragging. Military pensioners will be set to resume protests at the Presidency to demand payment of balance of 33% this year 2016. We get set for series of protests.”
