Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajuddeen Abbas, has been urged to intervene and ensure that all retired staff of the National Assembly are included as beneficiaries of the proposed Pension Board to recognize their years of service and sacrifice.
Some retirees of the legislature made the appeal while reacting to alleged plans to amend the Act establishing the Board, which was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari and originally covered all categories of pensioners.
They expressed hope that the leadership of the National Assembly would uphold the original law rather than enact a new one that could deprive them of the benefits earlier approved, describing such a move as unfair.
The retirees lamented that some of their senior colleagues, including former directors, currently receive less than fifty thousand naira as monthly pension a situation they described as regrettable.
They further called on the Federal Government to merge the two existing pension agencies PENCOM and PTAD and adopt a more efficient strategy to ensure prompt and regular payment of pensioners’ entitlements in the overall interest of the public service and national development.
SULEIMAN KAURA