N70,000 Transport Allowance: Pensioners Demand Inclusion, Fault Exclusion
By Mariam Lasisi, Presstv News Nigeria
The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) has called on the Federal Government to extend the recently approved N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public sector workers to pensioners.
Presstv News Nigeria learnt that the union made the demand during a press briefing in Abuja, where it argued that retirees should also be recognised as a vulnerable segment of society, particularly amid the prevailing economic challenges.
According to the NUP, many pensioners are battling age-related and health challenges while depending solely on their pensions, which it said have become increasingly inadequate to meet rising living costs.
The union commended the Federal Government for its efforts to improve the welfare of serving workers but questioned the exclusion of pensioners from the arrangement.
It said pensioners had devoted their productive years to the service of the country and deserved similar consideration in government interventions aimed at cushioning the effects of economic hardship.
The NUP also expressed concern over the non-implementation of the N25,000 monthly palliative announced by the Federal Government in October 2023 for 15 million households and vulnerable persons.
The union noted that pensioners were among the categories identified to benefit from the intervention and urged the government to address the issue.
It appealed to the Federal Government to review its welfare measures and include pensioners in appropriate relief programmes to ease the economic burden confronting retirees across the country.
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