The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Taraba State chapter, has accused members of its defunct Caretaker Committee of illegally parading themselves as union officials despite the expiration of their tenure.
State Chairman, Comrade El-Nathan Bila Auta, speaking in Jalingo, condemned former caretaker chairman Mamuda Yaro and sacked secretary Paul A. Tav for their recent media comments against pensioners’ planned protest over the non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage.
Bila described their statements on Taraba Radio and Rock FM as a “betrayal of members and a show of insensitivity” to the plight of pensioners. He alleged that after the committee’s two terms expired, no elections were held, and Tav, who he insists is not even a pensioner from Taraba, continued to run the union “as his personal property.”
The NUP chairman further accused Secretary to the State Government, Gebon Timothy Kataps, of backing the defunct officials for personal interests, saying Kataps pressured pension boards to release monthly dues to the outlawed committee despite a subsisting court injunction.
“We are not fighting Governor Agbu Kefas or his government. We are only demanding our rights. If the governor implements the N30,000 minimum wage as promised by the end of September, his name will be written in gold as the first to increase pension entitlements in Taraba,” Bila said.
He added that pensioners, with over 40,000 households across the state, wield significant voting power and would use it in 2027 to reward leaders who prioritize their welfare.
Efforts to reach the defunct Caretaker Committee for comments were unsuccessful, but sources disclosed they are “operating underground.”
