Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Taraba State Comrade El-Nathan Bila Auta has urged Pensioners in Taraba State to vote for Governor Dr Agbu Kefas for the second term to enable him complete his work particularly on welfare of retirees in the State.
Comrade El-Nathan Auta Bila who stated this on Thursday October 15th, 2026 at the Pension House in Jalingo during a Congress meeting of members of the Union said the Governor has tried towards reducing the hardships facing Pensioners in Taraba State.
The Chairman explained that within the three years of his first term in office Governor Kefas has done well enrolling over 3000 Local Government Pensioners who retired long ago into the State Pension Scheme and paid 7 billion naira gratuity which was completely abandoned by the previous Administration.
He expressed optimism that the Governor will pay the minimum wage and continue with the payment of Gratuity which he started in earnest in addition to enrollment of all local Goverment retirees that are yet to enter the State Pension Scheme before the 2027 general elections.
He blamed all the Pension Administrators in the State from office of the State Head of Service, Pension departments and all Labour leaders particularly the Nigeria Labour Congress and all labour veterants in the State for not initiating anything to the Governor towards alleviating the suffering of Pensioners in the State adding that the problem of the welfare of Pensioners is not directly from the Governor but from those concerned with the issues of Pension and gratuity who are not briefing the Governor on the issues of Pensioners.
Comrade Bila disclosed that Pensioners in the State have cogent reasons to demand for the removal of the Secretary to the. Government of the State Gebon Timothy Kataps Esq.
” Shortly after we are legally elected as new officials of the State NUP, the SGS caused our incaseration at the Police Headquarters Jalingo for three days for reasons best known to him, secondly the Upper Area Court in Jalingo orders the Authority concerned not to release the monthly dues of the Union to any faction since the 2 factions of the Union in the State are in Court but the SGS went behind the scene and used a different Judge to overturned and vacate the order by the Upper Area Court allowing the monthly dues to be released to the illegal caretaker Committee which refused to vacate office after completing their two terms in office as Caretaker Committee as well as ordered for the closure of the Pension House for nearly a year preventing us access and making the place bushy and inhabitable given us every reason to call for the removal of the SGS from office” El-Nathan Bila said.
“I learned that the presiding Judge was handling the case between us and the caretaker was not happy with my disposition during the last Congress of the Union in Jalingo on the Court case, Sir I did not meant to discredit you or belittle you in any way or say something unpalatable to you, Sir, sincerely I spoke out of the provocation by the SGS for openly interfaring and supporting the Caretaker Committee because the chairman is his kin and tribes man but If I annoyed you in anyway I am sorry I appologies kindly forgive me”. the chairman declared.
Some of the Pensioners who expressed their feelings appreciated Governor Kefas for showing concern on pensioners and urged him to do more by continueing the payment of gratuity from where he stopped in the and implement Pension minimum wage to make him a hero in the minds of Pensioners and their families.
Commenting Bakari Ayo commended the NUP State Chairman for the struggle for the upliftment of the living Standard of Pensioners and prayed for the success of the second term bid of Governor Kefas.
Other Pensioners, Titus Audu and Nuhu Garba called on the Governor to assist the State NUP Chairman by considering all the requests of Pensioners forwarded to him for the Chairman to fulfill all his desires for Pensioners saying that Pensioners in the State are very loyal to the State Goverment.
