The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) on Friday said the non-payment of allowances and gratuities of retirees in River State, has caused the death of many.
The union said the number of those dead was alarming and said the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was not doing enough to protect retirees in the state.
It urged the NLC to urgently liaise with Rivers State government to reverse the ugly trend.
NUP South-South Zonal Chairman, Pulling Norruwa, at the South South Zonal meeting held in Port Harcourt on Friday accused the NLC in Rivers State of not doing enough to make government pay senior citizens their entitlements after long period of service.
He described Rivers State pensioners as “the worst treated” in Nigeria despite the huge resources of the state.
Norruwa also called for the harmonization of pension payments.
He said: “Those who retire 10 to 15 years ago earn as low as 2000 naira while those who retired recently earn as much as N50k monthly.”
The Rivers State NUP Chairman, Collins Nwankwo said all efforts to meet with the state government after their protest was called off had been frustrated by government officials.
