Federal retirees decry delayed pension payment

PENSIONERS under the auspices of League of Federal Public Service Contributory Pension Retirees, on Wednesday, cried out over the delayed one year pension payment.

The pensioners also decried what it described as ill treatment meted on them by the government, adding that some of their members are suffering different degrees of ailments, while some have died due to lack of money to maintain their health.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Coordinator of the Pensioners Chike Ogbechie, said their members who are supposed to be beneficiaries of the Federal Public Service contributory pension scheme are currently languishing in penury and misery.

The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was introduced in the Federal public service in July 2004 as a reform initiative. The aims were to bring about orderly, reliable and efficient system of pension payment, and also to end misery of public service retirees due to delays in the payment of their pension benefits.

Contrary to this, Ogbechie said for over one year, the pension benefits of the retirees involved in the contributory pension have not been paid and it has brought untold hardship on the pensioners.

His words: “We want to draw the attention of the public to the crisis in the Federal public service contributory pension scheme as its supposed beneficiaries are languishing in untold penury and misery due to over one year delay in the payment of their pension entitlements.

He pointed out that one of the benefits expected from the CPS pensioners was the reliability of payment but “unfortunately, that benefits has now been denied as retirees, especially those of government treasury funded establishments, are now made to wait indefinitely for the settlement of their pension benefits”.

Ogbechie further explained “it was bad enough that the earlier sets of retirees on the CPS, from July 2007 up to about 2014, began to receive their pension after three months of retirement; but situation has now deteriorated to the point where those who retired as far back as January 2016 are yet to be settled up to this moment – 14 months.

“Our suffering as retirees who mostly in advanced ages and no longer have any means of livelihood can therefore be imagined. This failure also affects the survivors of deceased officers, whose pain is accentuated by prolonged denial of their entitlement”.

He hinted that the major problem of non payment of pension could be traced to the manner at which pension funds were being cut down during the budgeting process.

He further explained that “since 2014, the budget for the Accrued Pension Rights has been grossly inadequate and the trend has been downward. For example, the budget for this vote for 2016 was submitted as N91.91 billion, based on the actual persons enrolled for retirement, but was cut down arbitrarily to N50.196 billion.

“Again, the budget for 2017 was submitted as N113. 02billion, only to be cut again by rule of thumb to N50.196 billion, which is the figure now before the National Assembly.”

He however said “the treatment of retirees in the current fashion is counterproductive to government’s drive against corruption, as public servants observing the ugly treatment being meted to their retired colleagues find it easier to justify their graft.

“We plead earnestly with the Federal Government to take urgent special measures to reserve this unfortunate situation as the institute a regime of prompt payment or contributory pension benefits as well as look seriously into the issue of pension review as it affects the accrued pension rights.”