Kaduna pensioners: We’ll vote candidate who will sustain el-Rufai’s progressive policies

The Kaduna chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) says its members will vote for a candidate who will sustain the progressive policies of Nasir el-Rufai, governor of the state.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Alhassan Musa, NUP state’s secretary, said pensioners have “enjoyed tremendous benefits, including improved welfare” under el-Rufai’s administration.

Musa said the benefits that members of the union enjoy under el-Rufai’s administration are “unprecedented in the history of the union since its inception over 30 years ago”.

“Kaduna State Government is the first state in the Federation that implement the minimum Pension of N30,000 since the year 2020,” he said.

“More than 11,000 pensioners benefited from this increase. To our knowledge, the Kaduna State Government is the only state in the country that has increased pensions to align with the minimum wage. Most of the time, state pensioners receive their monthly pension before the state workers receive their salaries.

“The State Government inherited a liability of N15 billion in 2015 of Gratuity and Death Benefits from the previous administration.

“By the end of 2022, the current administration has settled/paid these inherited liabilities to our members. Apart from the N15 billion which has been cleared, the administration has paid an additional N20 billion to pensioners as gratuity and death benefits.”

He pointed out that the “administration also introduced I AM ALIVE thumb printing verification exercise for pensioners”.

“This has eliminated the sufferings of the regular screening/verification exercise that used to characterise pension payment in the State. It is noteworthy that the Federal Government is now emulating this verification method for Federal pensioners,” he said.

“In view of the above-mentioned good policies of the Governor El-Rufai administration, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Kaduna State Chapter appeals to all the pensioners in the State to vote for the Governorship candidate who will sustain these progressive policies that will improve their welfare.”