Photo of Delta Stell Company.
Ovedhe Hezekiah – Warri
Pensioners who worked in Delta Steel Company DSC, Delta State on Monday threatened to protest nonpayment of their nine years pension arrears as well as “unjust underpayment” by Pension Transition and Administration Department PTAD.
The pensioners under the aegis of Association of Iron and Steel Retired Staff of Nigeria, DSC branch in a petition to Hon Francis Waive, member representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu federal constituency decried the poor treatment meted out to DSC pensioners by the federal government.
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The petition was signed by Oserohwovo Thomas, branch chairman and Okpeh Okari, secretary, states that at least five pensioners die on a weekly basis because they cannot afford basic food, let alone being able to buy drugs when they fell sick.
They called on the federal government to immediately commence the payments of their nine years pension arrears and also put machineries in place to harmonize the pension benefits of DSC retirees with those of Ajaokuta company, Itakpe, Jos, Oshogbo, Katsina Rolling Mills, NMDC, MTI and Onitsha NIOMCO.
“DSC pensioners worked under temperatures of 1500-1700 degree centigrade to produce steel products and following the constant exposure over the years is today manifesting negatively on the health of the pensioners.”
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“Some of our pensioners receive as low as N2,000 as pension per month, while those on level 14 officer, that is like a assistant director in the ministry earn a pension of N16,000 per month, and this is due largely to wrong computation by PTAD.”
The President Steel Town Community, Udu, Delta State, Mr Simeon Segba speaking to newsmen after a meeting with Hon Waive, called for a stakeholders meeting between them, PTAD, the Head of Service, Salary and Wages Commission, and Ministry of power.
“We are not asking for what is not our right, we are asking for what is our right, and we have the documents to that effect, the submission I gave to Hon. Francis Waive, all the documents are attached and the day they call for that important meeting, it will be better for all of us.”
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“If the National Assembly will not intervene, the President will not intervene, we will be forced to call out over 20,000 residents in that town to come out, we are not afraid, I am old enough, I am about 70, I am old enough because even if you want to detain me because I am asking for the right of my people , I am not afraid, so the right thing should be done, we need this arrears and in that meeting if we present all our case before the parties, they will see the truth and let them do what is right, that all we are asking for, we are not violent.”
Meanwhile, Hon Francis Waive, has commended the pensioners for taking the path of dialogue, urged them to remain calm and peaceful assuring them that he will take up their case to appropriate authorities and ensure that their concerns are addressed.
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