The Federal Civil Service Pensioners (FCSP), has clarified that there is no plan by the union and its members across the federation to break away from its parent central body, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), to form another union.
To this end, hundreds of FCSP pensioners recently staged a protest to the national headquarters of NUP in Abuja against the action of their already dissolved former executives led by Mr Sunday Omeize, for scheming to polarize the branch and divide the national body.
Addressing journalists in a press conference, the Chairman Caretaker Committee, Federal Civil Service Pensioners, Comrade Eguaoba Fredrick, disowned the recent activities and pronouncement of the dissolved Omeize-led Exco, warning that their intention, actions and inaction were to create a crisis in the branch and the national body in order to break away from the NUP.
“They intend to divide the NUP and break away. They are not representing the federal pensioners, all they are after is check-off dues, just seven members of that executive and some of their kangaroo units heads purported to have been put in place the same Exco without the national body,” Comrade Eguaoba said.
Recall that, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners at its 11th National Delegates Conference on April 2021 22, has dissolved the erring Sunday Omeize led National Exco and replaced it with an eight-man caretaker committee headed by comrade Eguoba Fredrick in line with the constitution of the Union, rule 12 and 11.
The highest decision-making body of NUP, the National Delegates’ Congress (NDC) said it dissolved the former executive of the FCSP branch for anti-labour activities and gross misconduct, which are clearly against the constitution of the union during the conference.
While discarding as false the pronouncement by the dissolved Exco, that the FSCP has become a new union and has already broken away from the NUP, he called on all federal pensioners to stay in the NUP and remain loyal to the national body.
Comrade Eguaoba said the dissolved Comrade Omeiza led-Exco decision does not reflect the position of all federal pensioners, saying that this was not in the interest of all federal pensioners, and was selfishly motivated.
He said: “It is highly incredible and most astonishing to read with utmost dismay about a publication by a dissolved Exco led by Mr Sunday Omeize who have resulted to cheap blackmail of the NUP as a result of a decision taken against him and his former Excos after dissolution by the National Delegates Conference (NDC) in session on April 22, 2021, due to gross misconduct and anti-union activities capable of bringing the good name of the union into disrepute.
“The defunct Exco, like a drowning man, had been trying relentlessly to pull down the NUP because of their dissolution. Their action is like a case of calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it. NUP is performing creditably well. To put the records straight, retirees of the Federal Civil Service branch have not and do not intend to opt-out of NUP to register another trade union as claimed by the dissolved and disgruntled Excos of the Federal Civil Service branch.”
He accused the Omeize-led Excos of working only for their “egocentric, parochial and selfish interests,” while ignoring the plight and agony of the pensioners in Nigeria.
According to him, they had never fought for the rights of pensioners and had never even written any official correspondence on behalf of pensioners to benefit them.
Rather, he stated that the dissolved Exco wrote 52 petitions in all to different government agencies and parastatals but cannot point out to a single letter written in the interest of the members.
“The sacked officers breached several provisions of NUP constitution with reckless impunity. They have no interest of pensioners at heart as earlier stated, their sole interest was the struggle for the collection of check-off dues which was only used to serve their interests. Despite the colossal amount received by them as check-off dues for over two and half years they have practically nothing to show for their several monthly collections,” he said.
He assured that there is no crisis between the NUP and the federal pensioners, saying that the so-called breakaway union are only a little fraction of “selfish” federal pensioners who only care about themselves.
Citing an example, he said: “The NUP took up the battle for the implementation of the pension increase and its consequential adjustment, as a result of the increase in the national minimum wage in April 2019. We are glad to say that the circular to this was ready and it was released two weeks ago. But our dissolved executives did not write any letter, or do anything in respect of this, or any other thing that would have benefitted the pensioners.”
