KEY POINTS
- MWUN and SSASCGOC have therefore called on the Nigerian government to pay pension to all ex-NNSL seafarers.
- Union wants the government to come up with “pension buy-out” for other aged persons and their families.
- Verification report is still pending for finalizing beneficiary particulars and making the payment.
Having waited for 28 years for their unpaid pensions, the former seafarers of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) might now hope for the success of their case.
The National President of MWUN, Comrade Abiola Faleke, said this when he and the National President of SSASCGOC, Joe O. Oyeneegbe, said that the president should release the pension verification report to enable payments to be made to the needy, the retired workers.
Union leaders demand decisive actions
The MWUN President-General Prince Adewale Adeyanju speaking in Lagos decried the undue delay in the conclusion of pensions and called on the verification committee to forward his report without much delay.
He stressed most are jobless, poor, and ill this made him explain that the union will fight hard to ensure its former seafarers get their benefits this time with no delays.
Awaiting verification report for disbursement
In February this year, MWUN suggested the pension buy-out for the seafarers or their heirs insisting on the equal payments for all the recipients.
This as a tripartite verification of pensionable employees and pensioners in the Ministry of blue Economy, Nigerian Port Authority and NIMASA in a bid to validate the list of pensioners in line with the law with both the dead pensioner’s Next of Kin.
The union leaders gave their word to continue fighting for just and timely pension for the affected seafarers.
They further urged the government to uphold the rulings ordering pension payment and vowed not to let its members abandon the quest of securing the benefits of these former employees for their service.
