Pensioners split over N200m unremitted check-off dues

A disagreement has broken out among members of the Federal Civil Service Pensioners Branch (FCSPB) over claims of unremitted N200 million check-off dues by the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP).

While FCSPB’s Chairman Sunday Omezi accused the NUP of refusing to remit an entitled check-off dues totaling N200 million to his branch’s coffers, some members of the same branch have refuted the claims, saying it is a false accusation.

Omezi had gone to court to demand the direct release of allocations from the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), like other affiliated organisations.

The union leader told reporters in Abuja that the decision was taken because the branch had allegedly been short-changed by the NUP, the umbrella body of pensioners in the country, with over N200 million.

He demanded that his branch should have direct access to the money, like other unions affiliated to the NUP.

But a group, Concerned Federal Civil Service Pensioners Stakeholders, under the leadership of Alhaji Ahmed Lawal and Chief Ignatius Godsfrey Uzormah, accused the Omezi-led leadership of gross mismanagement of their branch’s funds.

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They expressed displeasure over the accusation that the NUP was withholding FCSPB’s money.

The pensioners said Omezi’s tenure had expired, adding that he has no right to demand or receive funds on behalf of their branch.

They said: “Please, be informed that Mr. Sunday Omezi is no longer the National Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, as he claimed. His tenure expired on July 17, 2022. He is, therefore, an impostor by claiming to be the National Chairman of the branch.

“The NUP cannot, therefore, continue to pay the monthly dues to the defunct Exco, led by Comrade Sunday Omezi, having expended his tenure of office. While we prepared to hold an election in July 2022, the same Comrade Sunday Omezi and his team took the NUP to court to fraudulently obtain an injunction against the holding of the election after he and his team collected N9.6 million to conduct the election.

“As we speak, the matter is still pending at the National Industrial Court (NIC) in Abuja. How then do you adjudicate over a matter that is pending in court?

“His action is, therefore, an affront to our collective sensibilities as members of the Federal Civil Service Pensioners Branch and an affront to the institution of Judiciary. Comrade Sunday Omezi should stop parading himself as the National Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Branch henceforth, until a new election is held to fill the vacant positions or he would be charged with contempt of court.”