The Kano State Government has increased the minimum pension in the state from N5,000 to N20,000, the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) has said.
The NUP State Chairman, Malam Shuaib Musa-Jibrin, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano, which The News Chronicle obtained on Wednesday.
Musa-Jibrin said the increase had significantly improved the welfare of pensioners and restored confidence among retirees in the state.
According to him, the state government has also made progress in addressing challenges confronting pensioners.
“The present administration inherited a backlog of retirement benefits estimated at N48.6 billion, out of which about N32 billion has been settled.
“The governor promised to settle the inherited backlog of gratuities and other retirement benefits, and we appreciate the efforts made so far,” he said.
The NUP chairman also identified the regular payment of monthly pensions as another major achievement of the administration, saying 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 entitlements.
Musa-Jibrin commended the state government for stopping deductions from pensioners’ monthly entitlements, which he said had continued for 31 months under the previous administration.
“The minimum pension in the state was increased from N5,000 to N20,000 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 N20,000.
“This is a significant improvement from the N5,000 minimum pension previously paid in the state,” he said.
The NUP chairman said the union would continue to engage the government constructively to ensure the settlement of all outstanding retirement benefits.
He also applauded the state government for supporting the union’s National Delegates Conference, which brought together representatives from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Kano.
According to him, the government provided transportation, accommodation, feeding and other logistics for delegates attending the conference.
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He said the gesture demonstrated the government’s commitment to the welfare of pensioners and would further strengthen the relationship between the union and the state government.
Musa-Jibrin appealed to the state government to sustain regular pension payments 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.
He said the union would continue to recognise the positive contributions of 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.
