Fuel subsidy removal has battered us with hardship, pains, say pensioners

Retirees, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), yesterday, expressed their anguish over the recent removal of fuel subsidy, which they claimed, had brought about untold hardship and suffering for them.

The pensioners, while urging the Federal Government to fulfil its promise of a N25,000 monthly grant to alleviate their financial burdens, said the government should also fulfil its moral obligation to support those who have dedicated their lives to public service and are now struggling to make ends meet.

National President of NUP, Godwin Abumisi, who spoke during the opening ceremony of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) held in Akure, Ondo State, said the sudden removal of fuel subsidy had further impoverished pensioners.

Abumisi said that if the palliatives meant to cushion the impact of the subsidy removal were implemented promptly, without the usual bureaucratic bottlenecks, it would greatly alleviate the anxieties and concerns of pensioners.

On his part, the Ondo State Chairman of the NUP, Johnson Osunyemi, urged the national body of the union to always operate in accordance with the spirit and constitution of the union.

Osunyemi, who also hailed Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for giving priority to the welfare of pensioners in the state, said: “Distinguished pensioners, although we still tremble under the cumbersome yoke of unpaid gratuities, we have decided to celebrate our governor today because he paid all the arrears of pensions he inherited from his predecessor. Equally, he has implemented all the increases in our pensions.

Akeredolu, who was represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Dare Aragbaye, said that, as part of the commitment of his administration to the welfare of the retirees, monthly pensions are being paid as and when due while the government prioritises the allocation of substantial amounts of money for the payment of gratuities.