Nasarawa, Kogi retirees want upward review of pension

Residents of Nasarawa and Kogi on Monday advocated the reform of Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), saying it has not met the expectations of pensioners.

Some pensioners who spoke to the newsmen in Lokoja on Monday said they were not impressed with the manner some of the pension administrators were treating them.

Mr Dare Olukaiyeja, a retired director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said his experience after retirement was unfortunate given the manner his pension administrators handled his monthly pension.

The director, in expressing his pain, said he got his gratuity and pension almost two years after retirement.

Though, he admitted that his monthly pension was being paid regularly.

“I never knew that it would take me almost two years before my retirement benefits would be paid.

“This is because the delay was contrary to what they always made workers to believe before their retirement.

“I think government should look into the unnecessary delays in payment of retirees’ retirement benefits so as not to send some persons to their early graves.

“The CPS should be reformed to allow contributors take away their Retired Saving Account (RSA) balance 100 per cent,” Olukaiyeja said.

Mr Kola Adeyemi, a retired Deputy Director in News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said he retired in October 2021, and had a fair experience with the CPS.

“I retired on October 10, 2021, and I got my benefits 14 months. I think that was fair compared to some that take over two or three years.

“In my case, the delay was due to a mistake I made while filling my form. I filled the form twice, and this led to a shift in the schedule time I was to be paid.

“Again, I have been getting my monthly pension regularly, particularly on the 20th of every month from my PFA. CPS is a close ended arrangement, this is should be looked into.

“All the same, there is need for review to know exactly what CPS is set out to achieve and not only to take off the burden of paying monthly pensions to retirees from FG,” he said.

Another retiree, Mr Ahmed Dada, expressed mixed feelings about his experience on the contributory pension.

Dada said: “It has been mixed feelings for me as my monthly pension is nothing to write home about”.

Like Adeyemi, Dada said he got his maiden pension benefits in 2021, having waited for 15 months.

The retired director said that he has been getting his monthly pension regularly from his pension fund administrator.

“This class of Nigerian retirees, especially those on the CPS are really passing through hell coping with the current economic hardships in the country,” Dada said.

Mr Oladipo Agaja, who retired from Kogi Local Government Service on Grade Level 14 said that he only got N120, 000 as part of his gratuity since he retired in 2010.

He said: “I cannot remember the amount I am entitled to but as a retired Head of Department of Works, I took home that amount at my retirement as salary.

“I now collect a monthly pension of N39, 000. Thanks to this present administration which came to upgrade the monthly payment, because as at last year I was earning between N9,000 and N18,000 as pension.

Agada appealed to the state and Federal Government to establish uniform rules and standards of administration on pension.

A retired educationist, Mrs Ladun Gbadebo, who worked in the state ministry of education said there was need to scrutinise pension staffer following alleged shady activities going on in the pension administrators’ offices.

Gbadebo noted that the administration of pension in Nigeria had been marred by policy inconsistencies.

She highlighted major problems of the pension scheme as delay in payment of pensions and gratuities to deserving retirees, lack of accountability and poor management.

According to her, pension system was faces the challenges of lack of transparency and inaccurate pensioners’ records, among others.

“All these challenges have pushed many pensioners into untold hardship, such as abject poverty, ill health.

“Many have resorted to begging for survival while others have died waiting for the payments of their gratuities and pension,” she said.

Mrs Florence Aina, who retired from Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, called on government at all levels to always remember pensioners as much as they remember those still in service.

Aina said financially, the pensioners need to be adequately catered for because being senior citizens they usually have some health challenges.

“I expect government to put emphasis on pensioners, such that when other sectors get a pay increase, they should also have.

“This is because what affects serving civil servants affect them too because they all buy from the same market.

In Nasarawa State retirees appealed to the state government for an upward review of their pension entitlements.

According to the senior citizens, they have not benefited from three consecutive national minimum wage increments in Nasarawa State.

Mr Samuel Tabe, a pensioner told NAN that pensioners in Nasarawa State were going through tough times as some receive as low as N5, 000 as pension.

“This is the third national minimum wage they are working on and none was added to the pensioners in Nasarawa state.

“Everybody is keeping quiet; nobody is talking about the pensioners,” he said.

Tabe, who retired in 2013, said he started receiving his pension payment immediately after he exited from the service.

“I am not satisfied with the current system regarding gratuity payment, unlike those days when somebody retires his benefits will be worked out for him.

“When you eventually leave the service, the highest you stay before you can receive your gratuity is 3 to 4 months, thereafter your gratuity is being paid. But it is not like that today.

“Since I retired from the service in 2013 till date my gratuity has not been paid, I have up to N8 million as my gratuity,” he said.

Mr Matthew Tukura, a new retiree, urged the agencies responsible for the payment of retirees’ benefits to make provision for their accumulated entitlements at once rather than paying in piecemeal.

“Even if the government cannot pay retirees their entitlements at once half of it should be paid. If such sum is paid at once they can go into business like poultry, fish and livestock farming’’, he said.

Tukura raised concern over the delayed payment of gratuity in the state.

“To treat senior citizens like that is not the best; it doesn’t show respect for labour and services after serving for 35 years.

“So, government and other agencies responsible for pension matters should review the pension so that our senior citizens can enjoy their lives after retirement,” he said.

Mr Peter Ahemba, Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Gov. Abdullahi Sule, assured that the government would review the payment of pension upward to enable pensioners enjoy increments accrued from the new minimum wage.

He said Sule’s administration was sensitive to the plight of the senior citizens as he maintained regular payment of pension in the state since he became governor.

“Retired civil servants in Nasarawa State enjoy their pension almost immediately after retirement.

“ It does not take time because when you are about to retire your pension is processed by relevant offices as quickly as possible.

“Government has plans to review the pension upward because of the new national minimum wage; pensioners should be patient with the government.

“The government is sensitive to the plights of the pensioners, every pensioner will get what is due to him or her,” he said.