El-Rufai raises minimum pension to N30,000

The Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), has commended Gov. Nasir El-Rufai for raising the minimum pension in the state from N3,000 to N30,000 monthly.

A statement issued on Thursday in Kaduna by Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser on Media and Communication to El-Rufai, said the union’s commendation was conveyed in a letter signed by its state Chairman, Alhaji Abdu Kwarbai.

It said that the NUP appreciated the governor for the gesture, saying it showed his level of concern for the aged and senior citizens of the state.

The pensioners’ union also acknowledged that El-Rufai was the first governor in the country to pay the new national minimum wage.

The statement recalled that the governor, had during a live radio programme promised to “surprise” the pensioners after some of them called to complain that they were receiving as low as N3,000 to N7,000 as their monthly pension.

It added that El-Rufai had at the time described the pensioners situation as unacceptable and promised to table their complaints before the State Executive Council.

The statement said with this development, the state pension bill will increase by N200 million.

It however said, in spite of the rise in the pensions bill, “the state government believes that it is important to let pensioners receive decent pensions.”