Pension / retirement / pension scheme / financial and business concept. The word ‘PENSION’ in German, on a stack of euro coins and banknotes.
The Kano State Government has increased the minimum pension in the state from ₦5,000 to ₦20,000, the state Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Malam Shuaib Musa-Jibrin, has disclosed.
Musa-Jibrin disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Wednesday, saying the increase had significantly improved the welfare of pensioners and restored confidence among retirees in the state.
He said the state government had also made progress in addressing challenges facing pensioners, including the settlement of inherited retirement benefits and regular payment of monthly pensions.
According to him, the present administration inherited a backlog of retirement benefits estimated at ₦48.6 billion, out of which about ₦32 billion had been settled.
“The governor promised to settle the inherited backlog of gratuities and other retirement benefits, and we appreciate the efforts made so far,” Musa-Jibrin said.
The NUP chairman said regular payment of monthly pensions was another major achievement of the present administration, adding that pensioners now receive their entitlements between the 23rd and 25th of every month.
He said the development had ended the uncertainty previously experienced by pensioners over the payment of their monthly pensions.
Musa-Jibrin also commended the state government for stopping deductions from pensioners’ monthly entitlements, saying the deductions had lasted for 31 months under the previous administration.
Speaking on the new minimum pension, he said it was increased to ₦20,000 following consultations between the government and pensioners’ representatives.
“When the minimum wage was increased, the government also agreed with us on a new minimum pension of ₦20,000.
“This is a significant improvement from the ₦5,000 minimum pension previously paid in the state,” he said.
Musa-Jibrin said the union would continue to engage the government constructively to ensure the settlement of all outstanding retirement benefits.
He further applauded the state government for supporting the NUP National Delegates Conference, which brought representatives from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Kano.
According to him, the government provided transportation, accommodation, feeding and other logistics for delegates attending the conference.
He said the gesture demonstrated the government’s commitment to the welfare of pensioners and helped strengthen the relationship between the union and the state government.
Musa-Jibrin appealed to the state government to sustain regular payment of pensions and expedite action on the settlement of the remaining outstanding retirement benefits.
He also acknowledged the contributions of former Governor Abdullahi Umar-Ganduje to the union, particularly the provision of its secretariat.
The NUP chairman said the union would continue to recognise positive contributions made by past administrations while advocating for the welfare and interests of its members.
“We appreciate every government that has contributed positively to the welfare of pensioners and the development of our union,” Musa-Jibrin said.
He assured pensioners that the union would continue to engage relevant authorities on issues affecting their welfare.
