Kogiflame
By: OLAYINKA BABATUNDE.
Retirees from the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and NIMASA have proceeded on a peaceful workout with placards owning to living in abject poverty due to non payments of pension and gratuity over 23 years.
This was their submission during the demonstration while speaking with Journalists at the NPA office in Lagos.
Spokesperson of the retirees,Mr Monday Jebba said NPA/NIMASA should respect the Supreme Court order directing them to pay their backlogged pensions and gratuity to reduce the untold hardship and rising death of their members who died due to lack of funds to manage their poor living and health conditions.
Mr Okeonatinga said, “We are in this demonstration to demand for our rights which is the payment of our pension and gratuity.”
“All over the world,dock workers are well to do people who are well recognized by their countries but on the contrary here “.
Okeonatinga however pleaded with NPA and NIMASA to pay them their entitlement.
Another retiree, Mr Olusegun Ogundisu who spoke with journalist narrated their ordeal of not being paid gratuity since he retired in the year 2003 despite winning court case with the directive of paying them.
Olusegun Ogundisu shed more light on how they have been on dock since 1968 till 2003 before being disengaged.
On the cross section interview, Mallam Ahmadu Bello who is also the secretary of the group,Buhari Ganiyu, Nathaniel Okere, Raji Nurudeen and Agboola Shina all narrated how they joined the NPA in 1968 and retired in 2002 explaining that since then,there has been no salary and gratuity leaving them to die improverished and poor health condition.
“We were obedient servants and highly dedicated to duties to the best of our knowledge and ability before our disengagement”.
They jointly pleaded with the authority of NPA/NIMASA to pay them their 10 million naira each as directed by the Supreme Court which is the Apex Court and not in piece meal.
The retirees however called on the hon minister for transport to as a matter of urgency take proactive step as their people are dying in hunger and poverty.
