By Jubril Bada

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A warning has gone to  those pushing for interim government or postponement of May 29 handover date from President Muhammadu Buhari to the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to bury such suggestion in order to save the country from unnecessary constitutional crisis.

The warning was given by retirees in the Southwest geopolitical zone under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners.

They gave the stern warning in Akure, the Ondo State capital at the weekend while briefing newsmen on the outcome of their zonal meeting attended by the unions officers from Osun, Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Oyo and the host Ondo States.

The pensioners ,however, charged Tinubu to come up with policies that will improve their living standard, as demonstrated by outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari in the last 8years.

Speaking on behalf of the retirees, the Zonal Public Relations Officer of the union, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, who is also the Secretary Oyo State NUP, pointed out that nothing must change the handover date as enshrined in the nation’s constitution, while the judiciary must be allowed to properly do justice to the election petitions before them at appointed time.

While commending good welfare packages pensioners enjoyed under President Buhari, the Southwest NUP leadership challenged Asiwaju Tinubu to give top priority to retirees’ welfare.

Abatan said, “Of all presidents produced in Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has been the most pensioners’ friendly in terms of addressing our issues and keeping to the constitutional provision that anytime workers’ salaries are increased, pension is also increased, we thank him for that.

“We are also using this opportunity to appeal to the incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to please take the steps that will make him pensioners’ friendly president also, and improve on what President Buhari has done for us.

“We want him to be good to pensioners as he takes the mantle of leadership of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29,” he said.

On the handover date debate, the NUP spokesman appealed to those speaking against May 29 for Tinubu to take over to exercise restraint.

“We also want to appeal to those who are going about, threatening that heavens will fall on May 29 if Asiwaju Tinubu is being sworn in as the president of Nigeria, anybody that has any problem about the last election should go to  court.

“NUP, Southwest zone will not favour the disruption of government by any other means apart from a legal judicial processes,” Abatan said.

The NUP leaders commended Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN,  for being the first governor in Nigeria to approve the Consequential Adjustment in pension of retirees, calling on other southwest governors to emulate same.