TheCable

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Kaduna has commended Nasir el-Rufai, governor of the state, for raising the minimum amount paid to pensioners to N30,000.

The governor has promised to increase the minimum payment to N30,000 from as low as N3,000.

In a statement on Thursday, Muyiwa Adekeye, special adviser on media and communication to the governor, said the commendation was contained in a letter addressed to el-Rufai by Abdu Ramalan Kwarbai, the union’s chairman.

Adekeye quoted Kwarbai as saying that el-Rufai is the first governor in the country to announce increment.

The union’s chairman said el-Rufai’s decision to raise pension “shows the level of your concern for the aged and senior citizens of Kaduna state.”

He also noted that el-Rufai is the first governor to pay the new national minimum wage.

While speaking during a live media chat he recently hosted at the government house, the governor expressed shock that some pensioners were receiving as low as N3,000 stipend monthly.

While saying that the situation is unacceptable, el-Rufai then promised that an increase would be tabled at state executive council meeting.

He said his administration believes that it is important to give pensioners a decent payment even though it would increase the state’s wage bill by N200 million.