By Our Reporter
There are indications that the In-fighting between two warring factions of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners NUP in Nasarawa State might be coming to an end.
Nasarawa Eye gathered that already the two warring factions were recently summoned to the headquarters of the NUP in the Federal Capital, Abuja in order to reconcile them in the interest of peace and progress.
To that end a Memorandum of Understanding MOU was subsequently signed by leaders of both factions presided over by the national president NUP and witnessed by NUP branch excos from Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa states.
However it appears a key component of the MOU which is the withdrawal of the court case filed by the Concerned Group of Pensioners might remain the pensioners’ only bargaining chip.
Already majority of the pensioners at a meeting in Lafia the state capital unanimously rejected the outright withdrawal of the case in court without a corresponding assurance from the government that their demands would be met immediately.
Nevertheless Nasarawa Eye gathered that efforts are underway to convince the state government to start paying the affected pensioners their full pension in the interest of peace and progress of the state.
Observers are however divided on whether or not the government would actually start paying full pension to the retirees as well as their gratuities judging from its tough stance so far on the issue.
From all indications the affected retirees might continue to bear the brunt of the government’s relative insensitivity towards the plight of the senior citizens.
Time will however tell whether the state government would now take the bull by the horns and settle the pensioners or continue to deny them their constitutional rights.