Central Bank Pensioners Disown Unauthorised Report On ASUU, Harmonisation Policy

The leadership of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Pensioners Club has dissociated itself from a publication circulating in sections of the media.

The report purportedly speaks on behalf of CBN pensioners regarding the Federal Government’s intervention in the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) dispute.

In a disclaimer jointly issued over the weekend by the club’s national president, Patrick I C. Anene and the general secretary Jiya D. Tsado, they clarified that the publication did not originate from, nor was it authorised by, the duly elected Executive Committee of the CBN Pensioners Club.

Two retirees, David Edogiawerie and Samuel Isokpunwu of the CBN Pensioners’ Forum urged Tinubu to extend the same political will in the signing of the landmark agreement with ASUU to those of the apex bank, whose dispute with the CBN had lingered for 26 years.

But in a counter statement, titled “Disclaimer”, Anene said the publication was intended to “influence President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) to compel the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria to grant certain individuals what they described as their perceived entitlements under the harmonisation policy.”

He stressed that this action was neither sanctioned nor endorsed by his leadership of the club.

Anene said, “The individuals named as authors of the statement are not members of the Executive Committee, do not hold any official mandate, and therefore lack the authority to issue statements or make representations on behalf of the club.”

The CBN Pensioner Club further said that the views expressed in the publication are purely personal and should not be interpreted as reflecting the position of the club or its leadership in dealings with the management of the CBN.

Anene specifically challenged the authority of the two individuals mentioned in the publication, noting that they are not legal representatives of the CBN Pensioners Club.

He drew a clear distinction between the agitation of ASUU, which he described as an academic and sector-specific matter, and the harmonisation policy concerns raised by the said individuals, which he emphasised are strictly pension-related.

For the avoidance of doubt, Anene reaffirmed that the club maintains established and recognised channels of communication, and that only the Executive Committee or persons expressly authorised by it can issue official statements or engage in public advocacy on its behalf.

The club, therefore, urged the CBN, government institutions, the general public, and media organisations to disregard the said publication in its entirety, as it does not represent the club’s collective will or official position.

The statement reiterated the club’s commitment to lawful engagement, orderly dialogue, and respect for institutional processes, while dissociating itself completely from any unauthorised actions that misrepresent its position or conflate unrelated national issues.