PENSION SCHEME NOT COMPULSORY FOR ALL WORKERS - UMAHI

  Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has said  that it is not compulsory for all Ebonyi workers to participate in the state’s new pension scheme.

He announced this during meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress and its affiliate bodies over the controversy surrounding the new pension law at  the Government House, Abakaliki on Wednesday.

Umahi, who  said  that any civil servant willing to opt out should indicate so  in writing,  added that once  done, the person's name would be expunged outrightly.

 

"Any worker that doesn't want to participate in this scheme should in writing, not collectively, state that 'I don't want to participate in this pension scheme law.' Such  person will be excluded from the programme," the governor said in a statement on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya.

Umahi, who reiterated his commitment to the welfare of workers , said  his administration  would currently afford 5% contribution to the scheme. He reminded workers that the Nigerian constitution  provides in the concurrent list,  for  each state to make law to suit its  financial capacity.

He flayed the NLC Chairman in the state, Ikechukwu Nwafor, for threatening to call a one-million-man match to protest   alleged  pension scheme deductions from workers salaries.

According to Umahi, the planned protest  would  not be allowed    by the  government.

He said, “We hear that Nwafor is planning to organize a one-million –man march
against the government over the pension deductions but I know that not
up that number voted during the last elections.

“We will however organize a three-million march if he goes on with his
plan.  We will  not fold our hands and allow anybody or group
destroy the government.

 “Nwafor should join a political party if he wishes and let us know, as
I have tolerated him and his activities enough and would no longer do
so.
“I will no longer recognize the NLC leadership in the state as workers
should look beyond the labour leadership toga because it was no longer
fashionable.”  
 
He directed that the buses donated by the government to the NLC to
convey workers to their duty-posts be withdrawn and given to the
state branches  of the National Union of Local Government Employees
(NULGE) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). 
The governor also ordered   “the state’s Fiscal Responsibility Commission to  investigate if
the Nwafor-led NLC commercialized the buses and immediately prosecute
it if found guilty.

 

 

He disclosed that his feelings for workers as a result of the economic challenges hampered the implementation of National Health Insurance Scheme even when the scheme would be beneficial to them .

 

The governor assured that effort was on top gear to put the necessary modalities in place to ensure full implementation of the law, adding that a  pension board which would soon be constituted, would recommend pension fund administrators.

Nwafor, in his reaction, had earlier said that labour faulted section 12 of the
state pension scheme law which stipulates that the employer would make
a contribution of five per cent while the employee makes eight per
cent.

On their part, the NUT Chairman, Comrade Joseph Nweke, the NULGE Chairman, Comrade Leonard Nkah and TUC, Comrade Edwin Nwonu, eulogized the governor  for  the new pension scheme and appealed to him to carry them along.