AbdulRazaq promises permanent secretariat, bus for Kwara pensioners
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has promised to address the demands of pensioners in the state, including the provision of a permanent secretariat and a bus for their union.
The governor made the promise while receiving the leadership of the state branch of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Ilorin, where he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare of retired workers.
AbdulRazaq said he would work with the Head of Service to secure a permanent office for the union, noting that its previous accommodation was granted under a Certificate of Temporary Occupancy (CTO), which did not guarantee permanent ownership.
He also pledged to address the union’s concerns over rent payments and provide a bus to facilitate its activities, assuring the pensioners that their requests would receive attention.
Speaking at the meeting, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, said the state government was up to date with pension payments, adding that no pensioner was currently being owed a pension.
Nuru also said the government continued to make provisions for the payment of gratuities. She, however, explained that some pensioners who had not received their pensions for the 2015–2018 period had yet to do so because they did not participate in the required verification exercise.
Earlier, the NUP state Chairman, Comrade Mahmud Oladimeji Saidu, commended AbdulRazaq for prioritising pensioners’ welfare since the beginning of his administration, particularly through the prompt payment of pensions.
He said the administration’s attention to the needs of retired workers had been commendable, as he acknowledged its efforts to address issues affecting the union’s members.
