BENIN CITY - The President of the Association of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Pensioners (ANTAP), Comrade Mukaila Salu, has expressed concern over the way and manner pensioners are being treated by government.

He made the remark on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the 19th National Executive Committee meeting of ANTAP, holding in Benin City.

Comrade Mukaila regretted that from the look of things, government is treating pension as benevolent payment, instead of seeing it (pension) as contractual, statutory, constitutional and civil right of the senior citizens.

He therefore called on government to have a change of heart towards pensioners, and accord them their due place in the scheme of things.

Earlier, the Acting Zonal Director, NTA Benin Zonal Centre, Mrs. Gladys Nsan, stated that efforts were being made by the authorities of NTA to ensure that members of ANTRAP receive their pension entitlements regularly, to improve their quality of life, with a view to reducing to the barest minimum the anxiety and crisis that characterize the life of an average public service pensioner.

On his part, the Chairman of Association of NTA Pensioners, Benin Chapter, Sir David Esegine, noted with dismay the non-payment of their “Repatriation Allowance” and he “five months arrears” of the 142 per cent salary increase of 2000 (year), by the Nigerian Television Authority.

He therefore appealed to the new Director General of NTA, to address the issue, with a view to giving a sense of belonging to the affected pensioners.

The two-day meeting will end today.