By Amaechi Okwara
Asaba
Nigeria Union of Pensioners yesterday pulled out of the energy sector over claims of failure by the Apex Pension Union to abide by the Extent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of June 2006.
Arising from an Emergency Special National Delegates Conference of the Energy Sector in Asaba, Delta state, the sector also proposed the new name of Electricity Sector Retirees Welfare Association of Nigeria (ESREWAN), and mandated the national leadership to take urgent steps to register the name with the appropriate authorities of government.
The communiqué issued at the end of the Delegates Conference which was attended by Chairman and Secretaries of over 66 chapters, the Sector President, Chief Temple Ubani, explained that the energy sector was an independent body known as the NEPA Pensioners Union, prior to its affiliation to the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in June, 2006.
The communiqué which was signed by the Sector President and the Deputy Presidents of the six geopolitical zones of the country vehemently rejected the purported suspension of the National Sector President, Chief Temple Ubani, and the National Sector Treasurer, Comrade Benjamin Amako, describing it as “unconstitutional and a total disregard to the pending suit in the Kaduna High Court.”
Ubani noted trouble started when the NUP arbitrarily increased the check-off dues remitted to it by the Energy Sector from 10% which they paid religiously to 35% which was a violation of the Memorandum of Understanding MOU of 2006.
“Under the new MoU of 2006, we were directed to remit 10% of our check-off dues to the headquarters of the NUP which we carried out religiously, but in 2015 they insisted that it must be 35% violating the MoU.”
The president also alleged that the NUP had become insensitive to the welfare of members of the sector, especially in the face of the privatisation of the power sector.
He said the NUP had failed to assist in the Energy Sector in the implementation of the 33%pension increase which has accumulated arrears of over N35 billion.
The energy sector also accused the NUP of hijacking its elections and causing crisis by meddling with its affairs, which informed the ratification of the expulsion of the former National Secretary, Mr. Olukayode Ogunbiyi, by delegates at the emergency conference over allegation of gross anti-union activities.
