FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PENSION DEFAULT AND IMPLICATION ON RETIREES

DISTRESS LETTER TO CHAIRMAN HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PENSION MATTERS, HON IBRAHIM BAWA KAMBA AND HON ALBERT ADEOGUN IFE FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY

Dear Hon Bawa Kamba and Hon Albert Adeogun,
Seasons greetings to both of you. I greet you in the name of our Lord. I wish to put on record my appreciation for the response to my earlier discussion of this subject matter with Hon Adeogun. Shortly after the matter was discussed with him, the pension issue was raised and debated at the floor of the house of representatives. This was due to the efforts of Hon Adeogun for which I'm grateful.

At the instance of my colleagues and fellow retirees I wish to, on their behalf, bring up the pension issue again as a matter of urgency and of public concern. Presumably following national outcry early 2017,  areas of outstanding pension benefits were paid to December  2016. Since that time, a period of nearly 15 months, no pension benefits have been paid to any retirees even though they number quite a few in the Nigerian University System. It cannot be said that the intention of Government is to send its retirees( Senior Citizens) to their early grave. These retirees in the University system are those who retired at the attainment of 70 years of age. By this age they are hardly able to take on any other regular job or routine employment, yet the benefits which they have labored for, entitled to and on which they are to manage the rest of their life's have been withheld by the very Government they served diligently for over a period of 40 years in most cases. Life expectancy in Nigeria is 49 years at best. At 70 years these retirees are prone to several ailments some of which if not properly handled can be terminal. With prompt medical attention and appropriate drugs which all depend on finance, they can continue an active life for another 20 or more years.

If  retirees are denied their legitimate retirement benefits, where is the gratitude that the nation owe the people who served their motherland faithfully and diligently? If those who work to retirement age of 70 in a country where the life expectancy is 49  and are not paid where is the reward for the several years of Gods grace on them? If those who diligently serve their nation especially at the very top of the University system and for that matter in the public service are not paid their pension benefits as at when due, what is the meaning of anti corruption crusade? Are we not telling those in service loud and clear that they have to engage in self-help to ensure they survive after leaving office. Is paying pension benefits not a sure way to discourage corruption in the system ?

Several of those who retired since early 2017 are beginning to show signs of fatigue due to lean cash and the stress of expectation of funds that are not forth coming. We therefore appeal to your good office to bring pressure to bear on the Executive to fulfill this basic obligation of releasing the pension benefits that are owed the retirees especially since the funds are joint contributions. Even as an anti- corruption panacea, Government should do the needful and release the pension benefits immediately; It makes common sense, economic sense and moral sense.

Honorable Members, we appeal to you to save our lives.
Thank you, sincerely.

Professor Oluyemisi Akinyemiju
Former Professor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

Sent from my iPad