Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has promised to provide pensioners in the state with a permanent secretariat and a bus, while pledging to address concerns over rent payments for their current office accommodation.
The governor also said he would work with the Head of Service to secure a permanent location for the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), acknowledging that its existing office was granted temporary occupancy rather than permanent allocation.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by his Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mashood Agboola, AbdulRazaq made the commitments on Tuesday during a meeting with the union’s leadership in Ilorin.
The governor explained that the Certificate of Temporary Occupancy previously issued to the pensioners did not confer permanent ownership of the property, leaving their continued use of the premises subject to the government’s decision.
“What you were given before was a certificate of temporary occupancy. They didn’t give you actual allocation, which meant that you were there temporarily and at the will of the government, they would move you. That’s why it was called CTO,” he said.
AbdulRazaq added that he would work with the Head of Service to identify a permanent location for the union and address the rent payments associated with its current accommodation.
“Having said that, I’ll work with the Head of Service to make sure we find you a permanent place and we’ll sort out the issue of the rents you are currently paying. On the issue of the bus, we’ll sort that one out,” the governor said.
The statement did not specify when the proposed secretariat and bus would be delivered.
Kwara government explains pension delays
The Commissioner for Finance, Hauwa Nuru, said the state government was up to date with pension payments and continued to make provisions for gratuities.
She attributed the non-payment of pensions to some retirees between 2015 and 2018 to their failure to participate in the required verification exercise.
“I will like to clarify that for those that have not received their pension between the period of 2015 and 2018 is because they didn’t come for verification,” Nuru said.
The statement did not disclose the number of retirees affected or the total value of any outstanding entitlements.
Pensioners commend AbdulRazaq
The NUP chairman in Kwara State, Mahmud Saidu, commended AbdulRazaq for what he described as improvements in pension administration since the governor assumed office in May 2019.
Saidu recalled that pensioners had experienced partial salary payments and pension arrears before the current administration took office.
He said the government subsequently settled outstanding salary deductions running into more than ₦4bn.
“Let me remind you, sir. When you came in, you met us with amputated salary, pensions (with payment of) 25 percent, 50 percent, and so on and so forth,” Saidu said.
He added that the governor intervened after pensioners appealed to him over the outstanding payments.
“When you came in, and we cried to you, you rescued us. You paid us all the outstanding amputated salaries running into more than four billions,” he said.
Saidu also praised the administration for improving the regularity of salary payments, saying workers had received their salaries on or before the 25th of each month since May 2019.
He maintained that the government was no longer owing the pensioners, describing the changes as a significant improvement over the payment difficulties they previously faced.
The governor’s latest promises will now be judged by their implementation, particularly the provision of permanent office accommodation, resolution of rent concerns and delivery of the proposed bus.
