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Plight of pensioners in Nigeria

Plight of pensioners in Nigeria

By Bisi Olominu
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They are called ‘Senior Citizens’ in Nigeria, but the respects that should be given to them have been taken away and they are being  treated shabbily, openly humiliated. The plight of Nigerian pensioners has become a thing of great concern to fellow Nigerians for many years. The pitiable picture of haggard looking, emanciating petitioners on queues for their pension during verification exercises has become pun of our rulers in the country.

Retirement which should have been a thing of joy, happiness, where pensioners should have exchanged banters, come with drummers to celebrate their meritorious service to their fatherland, has become a source of sorrow, agony, panic and teeth gnashing in Nigeria.

The irony of it is that civil servants that are due for retirement today falsified their ages to stay in service rather than retiring to uncertainty, hopelessness and sudden death associated  with not getting your pension in time. What has been the lot of pensioners is not proper planning by the government, embezzlement of their retirement fund, delaying pension payment and not paying their gratuities on time.

Our sense of compassion to pensioners plight in Nigeria would have been dulled to their pitiable sight, queue for several days for verification exercise, some so weak to stand for several hours, some on wheel chairs, some carried by their children and some in the process to collect their pension going into coma and ultimately dying in the process.

In reality, the victims of this dastardly act have no ethnic coloration, they can be seen in the north, east, west and southern parts of the country, for they all share in the country’s deprivation.

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Regrettably, the workforce today contributed immensely to the plight of these men and women of honour and completely blindfolded to the gross abuse of the dignity of aged men and women who had served their motherland, meritoriously for the better part of their lives. The civil servants entrusted to cater for the welfare of these men and women  of honour debased and deprived them of their sweets , forgetting that one day they too will retire.

Some states in the country are owning pensioners from two months to eight, while money owned to pensioners throughout the country is more than a trillion naira.

Budget in a nationwide survey did recently said that twenty states are owing workers and pensioners salaries and entitlements ranging from one to 36 months. It said the survey showed many states defaulted in the payment of pensions and gratuities with Imo, Taraba and Niger States owing pensioners two to three years in entitlements.

Speaking with The Hope on this issue, a retired school teacher, Mr. Dayo Ademola berated governments at all levels for treating pensioners shabbily in the country. He described government action as callous, inhuman, unfortunately and wicked in nature for these senior citizens to have worked for many years and their sweets allowed drying on them.

“It is callous for government to be treating us shabbily in the country having served meritoriously with many having unblemished records. Government don’t pay us as when due and series of verification exercises being done are tasking us with many going into coma or dead at the centres. Government should find alternative way to verify us and on the issue of pension payment, it should be made easier for us. Government should pay us promptly and should not wait for our death before paying what is due to us.

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“Many times we have been asked to come for verification exercises without chairs and tables provided for us to sit. This is not how to treat senior citizens of a country, there should be a way to know some of us are still leaving or dead. Even those that manage our pension fund should be men and women of integrity who are willing to serve without having wrinkles or blemish in them.

“The way to go is to pay pensioners through the first charge. This is what we want government to do for us, so that, our present suffering, pains and agony can be things of the past.

“The way government will make us to be in the sun, rain for several hours for verification exercise that can be done through internet service show that government is not yet serious with our case. It is degrading, demeaning to treat us this way”.

While contributing to the issue, Mrs Adefunke Ologun said that pensioners are not well treated in the country.

She mentioned that in Benue State recently, pensioners had to be begged to vacate governor’s office after they reacted peacefully to government inability to settle their 18months pension arrears.

“It is not only in Benue State alone, the whole states in Nigeria  are owing pensioners, and this should not be as the Senior citizens have served the country meritorious and should not be treated shabbily as they are being treated across the country. Government for once should device a dignified way to pay the pensioners their pension”.

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To Mr Are Adeniyi, pensioners are not treated well in the country, and their plight according to him is the gruesome murder of innocent souls that have served this country well.

Adeniyi posited that for someone to retire without one’s benefits is demonic in nature and it would not bring the best out of the young people joining the civil  service today.

“The sight of pensioners looking pitiable, haggard and emaciated having not been paid their pension for several months is already sending a wrong signal to those coming behind. Reason today that there is no commitment and corruption is of high level in the civil service. Many are thinking of what becomes of them after serving the country, reason why they are cutting corners to save for the raining day.

“Since the country does not cherished patriotism, devotion and total commitment, the reason why we have civil servants having many houses, fat bank accounts without sources and living large than their means. So, governments at all leaves should have a rethink and pay pensioners their pension as at when due”.

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Plight of pensioners in Nigeria

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