The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Anambra State Council, has commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for clearing about ₦22 billion in inherited pension and gratuity arrears, while urging the completion of pension harmonisation and settlement of outstanding obligations to retirees.
The NUP State Chairman, Dr Anthony C. Ugozor (JP), made the call in Awka during a press briefing on the “Harmonisation of Pension in Anambra State.”
He acknowledged the state government’s efforts in addressing pension challenges but said more interventions were needed to guarantee a dignified retirement for pensioners.
Ugozor noted that the administration introduced a N10,000 monthly pension award in October 2024 after discovering that some retirees were receiving less than N1,000 monthly, with the lowest-paid pensioner earning only N333.45.
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He, however, clarified that the payment was an interim intervention and did not amount to pension harmonisation, which he described as the process of aligning pension payments for retirees who served on the same grade levels, irrespective of their retirement dates.
The NUP chairman further appealed to the state government to pay 11 months’ outstanding pension arrears owed retired primary school teachers, estimated at N490.18 million.
According to him, the arrears were approved for payment in 2014, but the affected pensioners were yet to receive their entitlements despite several appeals to relevant authorities. He said the union had submitted a verified payment ledger prepared by the Anambra State Local Government Pensions Board to facilitate the payment process.
