Imagine the picture of old men, their eyes closed in prayer. Mind you, this is not a prayer for the success of their children as many senior citizens are wont to do. This is a prayer for their survival, a prayer to God to touch the heart of government to pay their entitlements after labouring in their youth in the public service but made to suffer in their old age.
Their lot has been non- payment of their entitlements, omission of their names from the payroll, under-payment, and delayed payment. Sometimes they are even called for verification exercise to exorcise ghosts from the payroll, in the course of which many of the retirees collapse and die on queue.
As one of the measures to address their plight, over 200 pensioners, under the umbrella of Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, gathered, in Lagos, for fasting, seeking God’s intervention on the payment of the backlog of their arrears.
Some of the senior citizens, in their 60s and 80s, prayed government to pay their pensions, gratuities that have accumulated for several years.
They also criticised the non-implementation of pension increase of six percent from 2003, 15 percent from 2007 and non-review of pension for the past10 years which is a contradiction of the 1999 constitution.
Chairman of Lagos NUP, Alhaji Nojeemdeen Adebayo Ibrahim, and the planning committee chairman of the prayer meeting, Mr. Isaac Ogunlade, both of whom spoke during the prayer programme, said the union resolved to prayer since human efforts had failed in tackling their challenge.
Ibrahim lamented that majority of Lagos pensioners had been subjected to untold hardship and that the union had had series of meetings with state officials which all proved abortive.
His words: “The Lagos government has remained resolute in not paying the balance of 142 per cent which is 36 months’ pension. We have been on this for over five years. We held meetings with government officials pleading that they should allow us to talk with the governor but they refused. But for us not to dent the image of the state, we have been pleading but all we are getting is non-challant attitude.
“Probably the government wants all pensioners to die. I have told them to get all of us together and bomb us which is a quicker way to kill us instead of allowing us to suffer to death after serving the state. They should remember that when a nursing mother is not at home, it was somebody that took care of the baby. We have exhausted our patience. Commissioners will come and tell us same story which we have been hearing for the past three years”.
Some of the senior citizens narrated their woes and how they had been coping with life after serving government, many of them for 35 years.
I was short paid by government officials – Mrs Eluaju Chika
“I retired in 2001 from the teaching service and, when they calculated my gratuity, it was over one million Naira but I was paid N709,000. When I complained, I was asked to write a letter which I did but, on getting to the secretariat, I was told they had paid the balance which I did not receive. I have been going to the secretariat for years but nothing was done. All I get after serving the government is suffering. Since 2001, there has been no increment of any sort. It is like government derives pleasure in punishing us.”
Pension staff asked for bribe – Mrs. Ebun Oyenekan, 68, served in Somolu Local Government under the Ministry of Education.
“Since 2009 when I retired, I have not received my gratuity. Some pension staff even asked me to bring 10 per cent for them to help me. Where will I get such money from? I don’t have accommodation since my house in Somolu was demolished. I am presently squatting with a family member. I am begging Governor Fashola to compel them to pay my gratuity and other benefits. I served this state with black hair, is it fair that I am suffering now when I am supposed to be eating the fruit of my labour? My gratuity is only a peanut because I retired as a non-teaching staff; government should have mercy and pay our money”.
We are old and weak
— Mr. Quadri Abdullahi retired in 2010 as a head teacher
“Those in charge of the administration of pension should remember that retirement will be their turn, sooner or later. It is disheartening seeing us being treated this manner. We pay the same transport, buy from the same market, families issues are not left out with dependent relatives. Things we took care of when we were in service are not reducing but increasing.
“We are getting older and weaker and here we are, our gratuity and other payments are not remitted. I am appealing to government to give us our right so that we can enjoy it before we die.
“The truth is that these yearnings are constantly dashed by exposing the retirees to a life of untold hardship and penury that could be better imagined as they are constantly subjected to lots of hardship under the old pension scheme, as neither the Pension Act of 1979 nor the NSITF put in place could guarantee regular payment of pension stipends”.
I am down with stroke
– Mr Jimoh Balogun, 72 , retired in 2007
‘”I retired as a teacher in Mushin Local Government Area where I served for 35 years. I have been down with partial paralysed of my right side for years and I was assisted to partake in this prayer programme despite my physical challenge because I have not been paid my gratuity since I retired. I do not have money to take a good care of myself. I don’t know why government is treating us this way; maybe they forget that the position they are occupying is temporary and we will all give account of our activities while on earth”.
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