NLC to Ganduje: Pay outstanding N11.2bn gratuity, pension with Paris Club refund

The Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, urged the State Government to use the recently paid Paris Club fund to pay outstanding gratuity, death benefits and pension arrears.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Minjibir, made the call in Kano.
According to him, the state government is owing retirees over N11 billion as at May 2017.
Minjibir, however, said that arrears had accumulated due to non remittance of pension deductions by government since 2006.
He urged the government to show human face by utilizing substantial part of the over N10 billion it received from the Paris Club refund in addressing the plight of the retirees.
“The Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration did not pay the contributory eight per cent from workers and 15 per cent from the state government in line with Kano State Pension and Gratuity Law of 2006; this amounted to N3.6 billion.
“The Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso administration did not remit N18.9 billion, while Abdullahi Ganduje also owed N11.2 billion, and that later accumulated to N33.7 billion.”
Mijibir said that the present administration of Ganduje had liquidated substantial part of the pension arrears, which has been brought down to N11.2 billion.
He said that the state government was yet to relate with the union on the disbursement of the fund in line with the federal government condition to releasing it.
According to him, the NLC would interface with the state government on the issue this week.
The NLC also advised the state government to as a matter of urgency establish a committee inclusive of the union and pensioners on the judicious utilisation of the fund.