Retirees sue Ibadan Polytechnic over alleged wrong computation of benefits

No fewer than 15 retirees of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, have dragged the institution to the National Industrial Court over alleged wrong computation of their pension benefits.

The claimants include Dr Bayo Adebowale, Mrs A Akande, Dr J Adejumobi, Mr E Oluwasina and Mr A Tapha among others.

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The respondents in the suit are the Rector of the polytechnic as well as the Governing Council and its chairman.

The claimants’ counsel, Mr Olatunde Erinoso, on Wednesday told the court that the institution  computed and paid the retirees” pension benefits based on the Harmonised Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (HATISS) .

Erinoso, however, said that the pension benefits ought to be computed and paid under the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CONTISS).

He said that there had been reduction in the payment of the retirees’ pension benefits since retirement in 2008 as a result of wrong computing.

Erinoso said that a letter dated Nov. 26, 2013 had been issued by the Governing Council of the institution to the office of the Accountant General and state Commissioner for Finance.

He said the letter, which was to effect the correct pension benefits, had not received a response since then.

The respondents’ counsel, Abeeb Lanase, told the court that he has an application for change of counsel as the former counsel handling the case had died and he could not retrieve the file.

Lanase told the court that he had applied to the court to get the processes filed so as to respond accordingly to the claimants.

He then urged the court to grant his application.

Justice Opeloye Ogunbowale granted the application and adjourned the case till March 31 for trial.

(NAN)