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| Map of Nigeria Image source: wikipedia.org |
*We’re dying, senior
citizens cry for help
Retired civil servants or
senior citizens all over the country are groaning over the inability of state
governments to pay their pensions and gratuities. From the oil-producing
states of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Imo, Abia and Ondo to the less fortunate
states as Osun, Ekiti, Yobe, Nasarawa and others, the story is the same.
A
New Telegraph’s investigation across the states showed that only few states
such as Lagos, Kano and Cross River are in the clear or with minimal burdens of
pension debts.
But
the story is far different from no fewer than 22 states, where the backlogs
date back to as much as 12 years. In states such as Imo, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Oyo,
Yobe and some others, the stories are not good to the ear.
In
Bayelsa, for example, where three people slumped in a verification exercise,
the state pensioners are owed about eight months. In Edo, the state government
workers are not complaining much, but workers of the local governments are
groaning. It is the same in Oyo, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Osun, Kwara and some
other states, where protests have taken place by the senior citizens. The common
denominator of their lamentations across the state remains neglect.
Imo: 13-71 months
Despite
the recent mass action by pensioners in Imo State under the aegis of the
Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), not much seems to have changed. Chairman of
NUP, Chief Gideon Ezekiel, during a recent protest march in Owerri, said
pensioners in Imo State have never experienced the level of brinkmanship,
abandonment and hardship they are facing under the Governor Rochas Okorocha
administration.
According
to a statement by the union, which was not contested by government, civil
pensioners are owed 13-16 months as at May 2016; local government pensioners,
14- 17 months; retired primary school teachers, 23-26 months; Imo Broadcasting
Corporation pensioners, 36 months and Alvan Ikoku College of Education
pensioners, 68-71 months.
Ezeji
further alleged that the state government has refused to harmonize pensions
based on the Federal Government pension award of six per cent in 2003, 15 per
cent in 2007 and 33 per cent in 2011.
The
perception that the governor had cleared arrears of pension for 12 years was
also dismissed by the union. They added that government has used endless
verification exercises to stall and frustrate the pensioners.
However,
the state Commissioner for Internal Resources and Pension Matters, Chief
Vitalis Ajumbe, promised that the state government would commence payment of
pensions immediately the ongoing verification is concluded.
Abia: 10-20 months
The
pensioners in Abia State have not fared better. Apart from the arrears of
pensions from January to July 2016, pension arrears of 2014 and 2015, which
range from four to 10 months are still outstanding.
Retirees
of Abia State University Teaching Hospital are the worst hit. The pensioners
have not been paid for the past 20 months. The pensioners have made several
appeals to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, but nothing has changed. This has forced
them to seek help from the legislature.
Benue: 24 months without
pension
While
civil servants in Benue State continue to groan over non-payment of their four
to six months’ salary arrears, pensioners are being owed close to two years.
Investigations by New Telegraph shows that the last time the pensioners were
paid was 2014 and since then, efforts to clear their backlog of pensions had,
at various times, hit the rocks.
Governor
Samuel Ortom, on assumption of office, promised to address the plight of
pensioners as soon as the financial position of the state improves. During a
recent meeting with the national leadership of Benue State University Alumni
Association at the Government House, the governor approved the release of N40
million for the payment of pension and gratuity to local government and state
pensioners every month.
Osun: Four months full,
one year plus in part
Hopes
of pensioners in Osun State are still hanging in the balance over non-payment
of their accumulated arrears by the state government. New Telegraph’s
investigations revealed that the state government is still owing the pensioners
arrears of 50 per cent pensions for July 2015 to February 2016 and full arrears
of pension of March, April, May and June, making it a total of four months. A
retiree, who identified himself as Gbenga Oyeleke, in an interview in Osogbo,
argued that their situation was worse in the state.
Oyo: ₦41bn pension
arrears/ 8-35 months
Secretary
of NUP, Oyo State chapter, Olusegun Abatan, disclosed that the three categories
of pensioners in the state are being owed several months’ arrears running into
about ₦21 billion.
Speaking
with New Telegraph, Abatan said: “State pensioners are being owed seven months’
arrears. It has now accumulated to over ₦21 billion. The arrears of six per
cent and 15 per cent of past salary increment for Nigerian workers based on
circular from the Federal Government, with concomitant increase in pension of
workers, have not been paid to us. The case on it has been in court since 2013.
“For
the local government pensioners, they are variously owed by their local
governments. Lagelu Local Government owes the most – eight months’ arrears.
“The third category – primary school teachers – is the most unfortunate. Since
Governor Abiola Ajimobi came into office, he has not paid them a kobo.
They
are being owed up to about ₦20 billion of gratuity. They are owed arrears of
monthly pension between eight and 35 months. Their case has been pushed aside
by government.”
Bayelsa: Eight months
Bayelsa
State pensioners were being owed about nine months from October last year till
date before they were paid one month in July, which covers October for those at
the state level.
According
to the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Tari Duonana, local
government pensioners were paid two months, while those at the state level are
receiving one month.
This
payment, however, came after the conclusion of the verification exercise, which
the Bayelsa State government embarked upon to ascertain the actual number of
pensioners in the state.
Already,
about two people have died while three persons slumped during the verification
exercise. According to the TUC chairman, so many of them must have died because
they were in dire need, in addition to the economic situation in the country.
Akwa Ibom: Five months
The
plight of pensioners in Akwa Ibom State appears to be worsening by the day as
hard times stare them in the face. This is owing to delays and irregular
payments of their pensions.
New
Telegraph’s investigations revealed that government owes pensioners at local
government councils four months arrears, which includes those of March, April,
May, June and July.
Their
counterparts at the state level’s woes varies, with some claiming that their
last pension was paid sometime in 2015, while some others who spoke with New
Telegraph claimed to have received their last pension in January 2016.
Edo: 42 months and
counting
In
Edo State, pensioners have, at several instances, staged protests against
government over non-payment of their pension arrears. The Edo pensioners
recently protested against the non-payment of over 42 months of pension arrears
and gratuities.
The
pensioners lamented their plight and alleged abandonment after serving the
state meritoriously in various capacities. They complained that most of them,
who retired from public service in the state between 2013 and 2016, were yet to
be paid their pensions and gratuities.
Delta owes ₦38bn pension,
3-6 months
The
Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has since admitted that the state
is owing ₦38 billion unpaid pension and a committee has been set up to look
into the debt. The state owes arrears of three to six months.
Kaduna: Different claims
Kaduna
State government is owing different categories of pensioners various unpaid
pension arrears in the last one-year, New Telegraph has learnt. A pensioner,
who did not want to be named, told our correspondent that there are two
categories of pensioners, namely old and new pensioners.
According
to him, new pensioners are those who are yet to be put on the payroll, adding
that government owes some of them up to one-year pension arrears, depending on
when they left the service.
The
source, who described himself as a new pensioner, said that he is being owed
nine months’ arrears because he retired in November 2015. “About five weeks
ago, United Bank for Africa (UBA) captured our biometric data.
We
heard that government will soon start paying us. But up till now, we have not
been paid a single kobo,” he lamented. Speaking further, the source said that
old pensioners are faring better.
“They
are being owed three months’ pension, but in the first week of June, government
paid them one month arrear. Last week, they were paid another one month. So,
they just have one month outstanding,” he said.
A
highly placed government official explained to New Telegraph that those who
have not been paid are part of the 4,000 pensioners who have problems with their
Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) or other bank issues.
Kebbi: ₦9.9bn in arrears
The
Kebbi State government owes pensioners over ₦9.9 billion from 2012 to date. New
Telegraph gathered that the payment is for the gratuity and death gratuity,
which has accumulated to over ₦9 billion.
A
senior driver in the Government House, who also retired in 2014, Alhaji Hassan
Usman, expressed dismay over the delay of his gratuity, adding that he was
supposed to receive ₦2.5 million, but he was only given ₦250,000.
Kwara: LG pensioners
crying
In
Kwara, the state government does not owe any arrears of pension, but it owes
them gratuity since 2014. However, the local government pensioners have not
been paid since January 2016 and their gratuity has been stopped since 2009.
Another
challenging aspect of the pension scheme in the state relates to the case of
some 9,000 pensioners, who are still waiting on the Supreme Court to decide on
the judgement of the Court of Appeal given since 2011 over their pension
entitlements.
Last
week, protesting local government workers embarked on a street protest that
ended at the Government House in Ilorin. The protest was after series of
strikes and resumption of duty by the aggrieved workers, who once asked
Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed to pay them from his security vote.
Rivers: Six to eight
months
Barely
two months after Governor Nyesom Wike assumed office, he directed that
pensioners should be paid three months’ arrears. Before then, they were owed
over six months by the Rotimi Amaechi administration.
But
since Wike’s directive in July last year, things have taken a turn for the
worse rather than the better as pensioners are being owed months, unlike
workers in the state civil service whose salary is regular.
While
some pensioners are owed for more than six months due to the biometric exercise
which the state government insists was necessary to curb leakages, some
pensioners are owed eight months.
Wike
had lamented that the salaries and pensions bill of the government is almost ₦7
billion, despite the fact that in March the state received only ₦3.5 billion.
Nasarawa: Three months
Pensioners
in Nasarawa State are also hit by the wave of non-payment of pension allowance.
The state government owes them three months arrears. Pensioners in Nasarawa
were last paid in March this year. They are currently being owed the month of
April, May, June and July respectively, including gratuity.
Yobe: Five to 10 months
In
Yobe, the state government employees receive their salaries, but local and state
governments pensioners are being owed between five and 10 months. According to
Mallam Hussaini Abbati, a former staff of Potiskum Local Government Area, he
has not collected his pension since last five months. “I’ve retired for more
than three years. I have children and two wives. I don’t know where I will get
money to feed my family,” he told New Telegraph.
Ondo:
Six months
Pensioners
in Ondo State are being owed six months pension arrears just like the civil
servants in the state. The state and local government pensioners are suffering
due to paucity of funds to pay the senior citizens. With the agreement between
the labour and the state government over the salary arrears, the pensioners are
likely to receive one-month arrear.
Taraba: Two months, ₦15bn
gratuities
In
Taraba, local government pensioners, including ex-teachers, are being owed two
months. The major issues pensioners in the state are contending with are their
gratuities.
State
chairman of NUP, Hassan Abubakar, told New Telegraph that pensioners in the
state are owed about ₦15 billion in gratuities. “Our problem is not about
payment of monthly pension, because the state pensioners receive their monthly
pension regularly. Our plight is about the payment of gratuities,” he said. He
disclosed that the last time the gratuity was paid in the state was about one
and half year ago.
Plateau: Seven months
Pensioners
in Plateau State are facing hardship as a result of non-payment of seven months
arrears by the state government. Recently, the pensioners staged a protest at
the Plateau State House of Assembly and the Joseph Gomwalk Secretariat to
demand payment of their pension arrears.
Senior
Special Assistant to Governor Simon Lalong on Media and Publicity, Hon. Mark
Longyen, told New Telegraph that the state government is working hard to pay
pensioners in the state.
“I
want to assure you that Governor Lalong is working hard to ensure the
settlement of pensioners in the state, as well as prompt payment of workers’
salaries. Already, he has paid the pensioners November and December arrears and
he is working hard even with the present challenges in government to settle
them the remaining months from January to date.”
Kogi: 3-7 months
In
Kogi, both state and local government pensioners are being owed three to seven
months’ arrears. It was gathered that out of 9,000, only about 4,000 received
four months out of seven months’ arrears while over 5,000 are yet to receive a
kobo.
Retired
teachers are being owed five months out of the pension arrears, as some of them
have been paid three months’ arrears. Similarly, three months’ arrears were
paid to some local government pensioners, out of five months being owed.
Adamawa:
Five months’ arrears
In
Adamawa, the same fate is playing out with both workers and pensioners. As the
state government owes workers two months, it also owes the pensioners over five
months arrears.
The
state pensioners, led by their chairman, Mr. Samson Almuru, recently appealed
to the Speaker, Adamawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Kabiru Mijinyawa, to
intervene in the prompt payment of pension and gratuities arrears.
Just
recently, two pensioners slumped during the screening and were rushed to a
nearby hospital. The state Commissioner for Information, Ahmad Sajo, stated
that “the state government is concerned about the plight of the pensioners and
that things will soon get better.”
Bauchi: two months
In
Bauchi, the state government owes pensioners one-month arrear while local
government pensioners are being owed two months. The state government recently
paid six months’ pension arrears.
Enugu: one to7 months
Before
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi took over in Enugu, he inherited outstanding arrears
of unpaid entitlement to pensioners in the state from the past administration
under Sullivan Chime.
State
chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Viginus Nwobodo, said the
state government owed only one month for pensioners under state while that of
local government has accumulated for seven months.
When
contacted, the state Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Emeka Okere,
said that government has concluded plans to pay all outstanding pensions to
both local and state government workers.
Niger: 12 months
In
Niger, pensioners are being owed arrears of 12 months (one year). Gratuities
are also being owed.
Ekiti: 6-20 months
While
Ekiti State owes regular workers five months arrears, the pensioners claim the
state government owed them nearly 20 months arrears. Findings actually revealed
the situation was not the same for all pensioners.
While
some were being owed about 6, 7, or eight months, others had started counting
theirs in scores. A retiree told New Telegraph that the state government owed
her 17 months, which she attributed to inconsistency on the part of the state
government.
Anambra: Dispute over
percentages
Anambra
State pensioners are crying over the seeming ignorance of their plight by
Governor Willie Obiano. They said that it was the duty of the executive
governor to inherit assets and liabilities; hence, the governor should
intervene where his predecessor left off.
Ebonyi: Umahi seeks loan
to clear 23 years’ gratuity
Ebonyi
State Governor, Dave Umahi, an engineer, is to approach the Federal Government
to seek a bond facility to clear 23 years’ gratuity of retired civil servants
owed them since 1993. Umahi puts the 23 years’ gratuity owed the pensioners at
N8 billion. He reiterated his readiness to pay off the gratuity, adding that no
pensioner in the state is owed any pension.
Up to date
Lagos, Sokoto, Cross River, Ogun, Katsina, Jigawa and Kano have been paying monthly pensions regularly and promptly to retirees.
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