Pension fund fraud: NLC plans protest over stolen billions

by Rachel Ogbu

Comrade-Abdulwahed-Omar (Photo- ThisDay)
Comrade-Abdulwahed-Omar (Photo- ThisDay)

Nigeria Labour Congress has picked April 10 to hold a protest march on the Presidential Villa and all state Government Houses over the embezzlement of billions meant for pensioners in the country.

On Thursday, President of the NLC, Abdulwahed Omar, and the acting General Secretary of the Congress, Chris Uyot, said in the communique issued after a meeting of the National Committee of the congress in Abuja, that the leadership of the Congress had to adopt the available option of mobilising workers to seek justice for the deprived pensioners, after using every lawful method possible to call government attention to their plights.

The communique said the meeting was held to deliberate on “the growing level of corruption and crisis in the Pension Industry” and it read in part:

“The Central Working Committee, after an exhaustive deliberation, noted that the Congress had written, at least, two letters to the Presidency, calling for its intervention in the pension crisis. In addition to the correspondence, the leadership of congress had reached out through other channels to the Federal Government.

“The Congress leadership had also made public pronouncements on the avoidable, but painful pension crisis. “Convinced that the Congress had exploited all the lawful channels of communication to the government to no avail, the CWC resolved as follows:

“That on Wednesday April 10, 2013, all NLC affiliate unions and State councils across the length and breadth of the country will mobilise workers on a protest march to the Presidency and state Government Houses.

“In pursuance of this objective, the CWC directed NLC affiliate unions, state councils, friends and allies of organised labour to immediately commence mobilisation for the action.”

According to reports, Omar said NLC had also given an instruction to all affiliate unions, state councils, friends and allies of the labour movement to get ready for immediate organisation for the protests.

NLC leaders said the decision to protest was to make sure that billions of naira was paid back to pensioners.

 

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