President Buhari, state pensioners are suffering

WHEN one  looks at the way in which retired civil servants are being treated in this country, then one will see that there is no reason to be loyal to the country. After spending the productive part of their lives in service of their fatherland, our senior citizens go through their old age in pain, as they don’t get paid their gratuities for several years, while the monthly pension will also not be paid on time.

While commending the Federal Government for how it is treating its retirees, those who served state governments go through hell before they can access their entitlements. Due to the fact that these retirees are no longer active, the state governments treat them with disdain, with some top government officials diverting their entitlements for other purposes; this is greatly unfair. It is no longer news that many retirees die before they can access their gratuities. Now, a country that treat its senior citizens in this manner should not expect loyalty from the upcoming generation. Do we now wonder why our youths are into various illegal schemes all in a bid to make money?

I, therefore, want to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, to punish state governments that fail to pay retirees their gratuities six months after they bow out of active service.

These senior citizens should also be paid their pensions not later than the 25th of every month, as they need their entitlements to make the rest of their lives more meaningful. We, therefore, need to criminalise the neglect of our retirees by state governments.

• Nugwa Joseph,

nugwajosh@gmail.com