Pensioners see hell

By Enyeribe Ejiogu, Gyang Bere (Jos), Layi Olanrewaju (Ilorin), Priscilla Ediare (Ado-Ekiti)

When campaigns for the 2023 general election kick off later this month, a particular group of Nigerians who served selflessly in the various states before bowing out of the civil service will be on tenterhooks over their unpaid due rewards.

In various capacities, the teeming mass of retirees invested their productive years in the civil service, but today have to beg for pensions and gratuities, which are held in the iron-grip of state governors, just like victims of abduction are held by kidnappers. Just like victims die in captivity, hundreds of thousands of retirees have died from frustration, terminal illnesses as they lacked the wherewithal to treat them.

The accumulated unpaid pensions and gratuities have been routinely bounced by state governors from one administration to another. With the 2023 election on the horizon and the certainty of change of batons in most states, you begin to appreciate the crushing dark cloud of uncertainty hapless retirees in some states, and why they are earnestly beseeching God to touch the hearts of incumbent governors to relax their grip and pay pensions and gratuities to them. Getting these payments, even at this late stage of life, would at least allow several of them go down to the grave in peace.

Normally, gratuity is the lump sum paid to a retiring worker after long years of service. The gratuity is to enable the fresh retiree adjust to life after being removed from the monthly salary roll and then await the commencement of payment of the monthly pension, which is supposed to be paid for life.

In the present dire and parlous situation of the economy, when hyper-inflation has burnt and pushed the value of the Naira very low to the point where N1 now has the purchasing power of 1 Kobo of old, pensioners across the country are passing through hell.

The situation has caused the death of several pensioners who could not afford quality health care delivery with what they receive as pension.

As happens in certain statistical array of data, some governors have proved to be positive outliers in that they have made genuine efforts to pay not just current pension obligations but parts or bulks of the gratuities and pensions they inherited. Such governors find that the beneficiary-retirees in their states pour out prayers for them before the altar of grace, imploring God to give the state chief executives wisdom and more grace to finish strong.

With retirees in some states continuing to pine away and gnash their teeth, bemoaning their fate over the unpaid pensions and gratuities, Sunday Sun visited a sample of states to ascertain the true situation.   

PLATEAU

Upcountry in Plateau State, pensioners feel some degree of gratitude for the Solomon Lalong administration, which they credit with being faithful in paying their pension regularly. However, their pain is that the government has not paid gratuity to the retirees for years and years.

It was learned that the minimum pension being paid to pensioners in the state is N5,000. The aged persons have been begging since 2003 for upward review of the pension but their public outcry has always fell on deaf ears.

Sadly, apart from the paltry pension being paid by the government, the retirees have not received gratuity and death benefits for over a decade.

Simon Gofwang, who retired in 1991 from Relevant Technology Board, described the plight of retirees in Plateau as pathetic and heart rending because the majority of pensioners have not been paid their gratuity.

“It is sad that most pensioners have not been paid their gratuity. Over time, if your gratuity was computed to be N2 million, they will give you just N200,000. Sometimes it is when you are sick that the pension board will give you something if you are lucky,  to take care of your health. This is very sad.

“I appreciate God for payment of monthly pension, we are up-to-date as we speak but the amount is nothing compared to the current reality. Some pensioners collect N2000 and others get N5000, but that will not do anything. We appeal to government to increase our monthly pension and pay our gratuity,” Gofwang said.

As Gofwang noted, pension fund is supposed to be on the first line charge but the government deliberately refused to pay gratuit, adding that having served the state, they deserve their due reward.

Agreeing Gofwang, Dakup Danladi,  who retired in 1996 from Plateau State Sports Council revealed that he used to receive N600 until a  Military Administrator of Plateau State, Mohammad Mana, raised the amount to N1,500 while former Governor Jonah David Jang again increased it in 2007 to N5000.

“Now I am collecting N5000 and when minimum wage was approved, they said there would be increment for us but we have not seen that. I commend the government for paying monthly pension and appeal for upward review” he said.

In like manner, Adamu James, who retired seven years ago laments that the amount received by pensioners cannot sustain them based on the economic reality of Nigeria today. James who is diabetic explained that the amount cannot meet his medical needs, let alone feed, because his condition requires routine drugs that are increasing in price,  to remain alive.

Just like other retirees, James Ayuba who retired as a cleaner told Sunday Sun he gets less than N10,000 as pension without any other benefits.

“I know most of my colleagues whose conditions are  worse; they are sick and cannot afford medical bills due to shortage of funds. If our monthly pension is reviewed in line with the new minimum wage, that will assist most of us to survive until the appointed time to die,” Ayuba said with a shrug, resigning himself to fate.

When Sunday Sun interacted the Secretary, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Plateau State Council, Comrade Bulus Ibrahim, he affirmed that the retirees are dying because of frustration, hypertension and other diseases because of the prolonged dela of gratuities.

While applauding Governor Lalong for the steadfastness of his administration in paying pensions, he appealed to him to consider payment of death benefits, gratuity and to increase the monthly pension.

His words: “You know we have a lot of entitlements, we have the gratuity, we have the increment, We have death benefits and the monthly pension which has been our problem. This government has concentrated on paying monthly pension. Honestly, since the governor came on board, he has never failed to pay us even for one month which is very okay and we appreciate it.

“But non-payment of other entitlements like gratuity, death benefits and increment just like the recent minimum wage has been the problem we are facing. The last time increment was made for pensioners in Plateau State was in 2003 and that will be 20 years next year.

“You are all aware that price of goods and services change in this country everyday but pensioners have been receiving the minimum of N5,000. When somebody is receiving N5,000 as pension in the present economic situation, what will you buy with such amount?

“We have a problem with death benefits. We have a lot of people who have died. Some died in service, some died shortly after retirement and they are entitled to their benefits and that too is very difficult to come by and it is paid based on your salary.”

“As we speak, there are some that just passed away and there are some that we don’t get information about their death, so we cannot tell you the exact number of pensioners who are dead. Although, we usually link up with our branch chairmen to send us information about their deaths.

“We don’t want anybody who is not alive to be enjoying pension, and doing this, we are helping government. Once you retire, you are entitled to pension for life. But if the person dies after five years, the person loses the pension.

Efforts to reach the Head of Service, Plateau State, Engr. Sunday Hyat, were not successful as he did not take calls made to his cellphone. He also did not respond to text messages.

KWARA

For retirees in Kwara State, agony has become their middle name as the amount of unpaid pensions and gratuities has kept rising every passing year, from one administration to other. As Sunday Sun learnt from the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Kwara State Chapter, Alhaji Saidu Oladimeji, the arrears of gratuities and pension inherited from the past administrations have been estimated to be in the billions. However, the current administration led by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has adopted the piecemeal payment plan, to reduce the burden on the government.

Oladimeji said the unpaid arrears of gratuity owed to state pensioners date back to 2015 while the unpaid arrears owed to local government pensioners began to accumulate from 2009. Among local government retirees are workers, primary school teachers as well as those that retired from Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, who are being arrears of pension for several months.

Giving an insight to situation, Oladimeji said: “The previous government was paying the pensioners on a percentage basis. Although present Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has been paying pension regularly since he took office, but the administration is yet to fully pay off the arrears inherited from the predecessor. He disclosed that no fewer than 2000 pensioners have died in the state as a result of prolonged frustration cause by of non-payment of gratuities and pensions by the previous administration.

Moved by the plight of the retirees, Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq set aside a special dedicated fund to pay pension and gratuity arrears. “For instance, when the statutory allocation was high, the government released funds that enabled every retiree at least to receive the sum of N250,000. When statutory allocations dropped, the state government also reduced the amount it paid to N150,000 per retiree, chosen randomly. When allocation dropped further, the amount paid to the randomly chosen retiree was pegged at N100,000.  This piece meal payment has lessened the cry of some of our members. If a retiree was to be paid about N2 million as gratuity and he was lucky to be selected at a particular month, he would get N250,000, thereby gradually reducing the outstanding balance. This has helped to ameliorate the sufferings of the retirees,” Oladimeji said.

As at today, retirees are not owed pension currently, except the previous arrears, which the government is paying gradually.

A source at the Local Government Pensions Board, revealed to Sunday Sun that arrears of gratuity and pensions owed local government workers and SUBEB teachers run into billions and began to accumulate in 2009. He disclosed that every month the state government releases about N100 million  to the board  to service the arrears of gratuities owed by previous government.

Alhaja Sikifat Ahmed, a retiree expressed worry that since she retired seven years ago, her family has been suffering as a result of non-payment of her gratuity.

She said, “How can government abandon us and left us on the streets to go hungry.”  Also lamenting, Mr Joseph Ibitomi, said: “Pensioners are dying almost every week. Many of us use the little money we are paid to buy drugs, and when the money is not forthcoming, we cannot get the drugs, and that means we cannot live long. This is why we are pleading that the government should listen to the plight of the pensioners and ensure we are paid what we should be paid as at when due. The problem of pensioners is almost the same in the state and local governments and most state governor have no regard for pensioners,” he said.

A retired headteacher, Mrs Kate Adeniyi, urged Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq to borrow a leaf from the Borno, Lagos and Osun states where colossal funds were set aside for the payment of outstanding gratuity to pensioners wherein; the settlement had brought good omen on the living condition of the aged retirees.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Strategy, Alhaji Sa’adu Salahu, said the current administration has expended over N20 billion on payment of pension and gratuities in the last two years.

His words: “The state government has expended over N16 billion on payment of pension and also close to N3 billion for payment of gratuities at both the state and local government levels.”

EKITI

The state slogan of Ekiti State, passes of the home of pounded yam as the land of honour. But the

Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners(NUP), Ekiti State, Comrade Akinola Joel, is not really enamoured with the governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum. By the summation of Akinola, NGF chairman has not shown leadership to the forum by the way he has dealt with the issue of pension and gratuity of retirees in the state. Asked to provide on the vexatious issue of pension arrears in the state, Akinola literally carpeted the governor.

His words: “As I am talking to you now the state government is owing three months of unpaid pensions to state pensioners  and seven months of unpaid pensions to local government pensioners.

Though it was not Governor Fayemi that owed those arrears of pension of seven months for local government pensioners and three months for state pensioners. They accrued under former Governor Ayo Fayose. But Governor Kayode Fayemi promised at inception of his second term in 2018, that he would pay off the arrears and pleaded that we should give him six months to clear all the arrears of pension. He did not.

“When it comes to gratuity, it was Governor Fayemi that owed us from 2010 from 2014. As at today, the gratuity for local government pensioners was paid last to those who retired in 2012 and that of state pensioners in 2013. Governor Fayemi was the one in power then which was his first term. He didn’t pay for those periods and that is why we are still battling with 2012 and 2013.

“Governor Fayemi took over from Segun Oni. Segun Oni who was the governor between 2007 and 2010 didn’t owe any pension and gratuity because he paid everything during his time.

“It was Fayemi that started owing gratuity. He was paying pension but he was not paying gratuity during his first term. So, when Governor Fayemi left in 2014 and  Ayodele Fayose took over. Fayose was paying pension then and was paying only N10 million for gratuity and that lasted for few months.

“When Governor Fayemi came back in 2018, he said he will be paying  N100 million every month which he paid for only one month or two and he stopped. This year(2022) Governor Fayemi has only paid for one month. For state pension, he paid in January and for local government, he paid in March this year.

“This government is paying our pensions regularly but they should be paying our gratuities as and when due because that money is losing its value. Somebody who was owed may be N3 million in 2012, is it still N3 million now? And it is still that N3 million that will be paid with no interest. So, N3 million that time is much less than one million now. So, the money has been devalued and rendered useless and worthless.”

On the Union’s engagement with the state government, Comrade. Akinola said: “We have had several engagements with the government. We have visited them. We have talked to them, we have written letters, we have invited them, they have been giving us promises and even the outgoing governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, when he came here in 2018, on electioneering, he promised heaven and earth, that he should be given just six months that he will clear all the arrears of pension. Six months turned to one year, one year became two years, and here we are now nothing so far, he has not paid any of the arrears of pension he owed us. He promised us of paying our seven months unpaid arrears of pension to local government pensioners and three months arrears of unpaid pension to state pensioners, he said it himself that he should be given six months.

“And we have been visiting him, writing letters, we have been on radio stations, we have addressed press conferences, we have organised prayer sessions for God to intervene but we are yet to hear from him, may be before he leaves in October, he might perform the miracle because there is nothing God cannot do. We are looking up to God that God should touch his heart and do something so that we can remember him for good.”

Some retirees in the state pour out tales of woe, psychological pain, recounting their plight over the seeming insensitivity of the state governor. One of them is a Elder Olayemi Oluropo, who retired as as chief agricultural extension officer, in 2016: “Things have not been the same since I retired. I have suffered a lot. Up till now, I have not taken a dime from the state government in form of gratuity. Apart from that, the government is owing me three months pension arrears. Imagine someone who has children, even the children are not employed.

“I want to appeal to government, not that this money is not there as there are other projects that they are doing. We read newspapers, we hear news here and there, they spend humongous amounts of money on other things but neglecting pension arrears and gratuities, this is not good. Pensioners are suffering and we are dying.”

Another retiree, Mrs Folake Alade, a former secondary school principal who retired in 2016, similarly lamented that she had received a kobo of her gratuity since she retired. “Life has been very unbearable, especially in the procurement of drugs and feeding. I appeal to the outgoing state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi to pay before leaving office in October.”

In the sae vein, Mr Williams Akinyede, who retired as a secondary school principal in 2014 said he is yet to be paid his terminal benefits by the state government. “The failure of government to pay my gratuity has been causing untold hardship to me and my family. Accessing medical care, feeding and other financial obligations have been a major problem since retirement. I am therefore begging the government to please pay my gratuity that has long been overdue since 2014.”

On the flip side of the claims of the retirees of being owed pensions and gratuities, Secretary to the State Government, Mr Foluso Daramola, debunked the claims, saying: “The  Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration is not owing any pensioner. We have paid up to July 2022. No month was skipped for pension in Ekiti State. The outstanding pension arrears they are talking about was owed by the administration of former Governor Ayodele Fayose.

“But in terms of salaries and pensions, they are paid together in Ekiti State. I am saying it emphatically that the current administration led by Dr Kayode Fayemi is not owing any pension except for the month of August that we have not even paid the salary and any moment from now they will start seeing the alerts.

“This administration is not owing anybody pension except the outstanding that it inherited from the past administration and if there is fund before the end of the tenure, government has promised to see what it can do about it.”

“ As for gratuity, by the time this government came on board in 2018, the last administration was paying just N10 million every month as gratuity but when this government came, it was increased to N100 million per month, which it continued for two and a half years until COVID-19 set in, in 2020. So when COVID-19 came, there was global economic meltdown and every state including Ekiti was facing serious financial challenges. But in spite, government didn’t stop payment of gratuity. By December, 2021, N412 million was released to pay outstanding gratuity (to cover for the four months that government did not fulfill during the challenges). Afterwards, government resumed the payment of N100 million every month and paid up to January this year.

“But this outstanding gratuity has been on before the onset of this government and government made a lot of proposals to offset the gratuities through the capital market. Government wanted to source the funds from the capital market at a discounted rate but the pensioners refused, since then government has been looking for money to make sure that they are paid their gratuity.”