Save contributory pensioners from poverty, APC chieftain begs Tinubu

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Hon Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to look into the plights of contributory pensioners in the country.

Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) made the appeal while speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Osogbo.

The APC chieftain noted that delayed or non-payment of pensions, inadequate funding, and corruption within the pension scheme have led to hardship and financial stress for pensioners.

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Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, said that since 2004, when the Federal Government enacted the Pensions Reform Act(PRA 2004), which introduced the contributory pension scheme, pensioners had not been treated fairly, especially by many previous administrations in the country.

Lamenting that many pensioners, many years after retirement, are still unable to access their gratuity, Oyintiloye also pointed out that many senior citizens are often paid between 25 and 50 per cent of the lump sum after retirement.

He expressed concerns that many civil servants who had served the government in their prime would end up being subjected to untold hardship and poverty after retirement due to the delay or non-payment of retirement benefits due to them by the government.

Oyintiloye, who commended Tinubu for approving N758 billion bond in February to clear 16 years pension liabilities, said that more still needed to be done to save pensioners from poverty ravaging them after retirement, leading to sickness and untimely death.

He also urged the President to work with the National Assembly in reviewing the 2004 Pensions Reform Act to enable pensioners to withdraw all their retirement savings immediately after exiting service, and also have access to free health care once they reach 65 years.

Oyintiloye said doing that would enable these retirees to take care of their needs, venture into any business of their wish, rather than live on a monthly pension that may be insufficient.

He said the kind of hardship many ex-workers are experiencing after retirement due to poor or delayed payment of retirement benefits may negatively impact the morale of those still in service, making them indulge in graft.

“I want to appeal to the president to look into the plight of pensioners under the contributory pension scheme. The 2004 Pension Act should be reviewed to enable pensioners to live a decent life after retirement.

“Due to poor or delayed payment of retirement benefits, many retirees cannot afford a decent meal, good health care, and good housing, among others, after exiting service. These are the people that served the country in their prime.

“After retirement due to advanced age, many of these pensioners are already suffering ailments and yet they can’t avoid medication because they don’t have enough money. Even as retirees, many of these senior citizens still have many people depending on them.

“That is why I am pleading with President Bola Tinubu to intervene. He has shown that he is a leader with the capacity to solve problems. His intervention will go a long way in bringing relief to these people and hope for those who are still in active service,” he said