Non-payment of gratuities: Southwest pensioners to sue governors

TRACKING>>The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), South West Zone, has vowed to sue state governors in the in the country over nonpayment of gratuities.

NUP said the gratuity was for their members across the country from 2008 till date.

Mr Ayo Kumapayi and Olusegun Abatan, Zonal Chairman and Spokesman for the zone respectively, made this disclosure at the end of the zonal meeting held on Thursday in Akure.

According to him, the union has discovered that nonpayment of gratuity to pensioners is not only in South West but throughout the federation.

“It has become a tradition of Nigerian governors to the extent that pensioners are not paid from 2008 to 2019.

“It has become a very serious affair and many of our pensioners have been dying prematurely as a result of this non-payment of gratuity.

“So,the South West Zone of NUP has decided to test certain parts of Nigeria constitution in a competent court of law.

“We want to determine weather it is constitutional that state governors should not pay gratuities and pension as at when due.

“Or if it is constitutional for them not to pay us, we want to determine it and if it is unconstitutional, then we will go further to determine the next level to take,” he said.

He said the union supported the local government autonomy, explaining that governors had dabbled into funds of LGAs which made them to short change pensioners and workers in their various states