Category: Pension

Sunday: Good day, my name is Sunday from Cross River State. My father died on July 10, 2005 while in the Nigeria Police Force. He is the late Inspector Okimba. His last place of service was Akwa-Ibom State.

  I went on to process his entitlement as his next- of-kin (NoK) in 2015 at PTAD office, Abuja where I was verified and captured with pensioner number. But up till date, I have not been paid. Kindly help me.

PTAD: There was incomplete documentation at the time of verification. NoK is requested to come with these additional documents: Enlistment form; Emolument form; Letter of Administration; Marriage Certificate; Introduction Letter from Last Command; Valid Means of Identification; NoK’s Birth Certification; and NoK’s BVN.

ABDULLAHI: I am Abdullahi from Jos, the Plateau State capital. My father was a staff member of the Ministry of Defence, Civilian Unit for 16 years before he died in 1995.

I have attended various screening and verification and the last one was in Jos in 2017. I have submitted the required documents for the payment of gratuity and pension benefits as a Next of Kin (NoK), but to no avail.

In 2020, I was called from PTAD to submit some documents, including bank account details, which I did.

From your publication of my case, PTAD is asking for is verification number, which I scanned and sent since to them.

Please, assist me.

PTAD: NoK should provide the deceased’s name and bank statement.

IDOWU: Good day, my name is Idowu. This is a reminder to the newspaper that I have sent my scanned verification details to PTAD as directed since July 22, 2021, but I have not received any response from them.

I retired from the Lagos State Post-Primary Teaching Service Commission on April 30, 2004. The date of my first appointment at Epe Division Grammar School, Lagos State is June 1,1969. I spent my 35 service years in Lagos State.

Read Also: PTAD, NHIA to provide pensioners health insurance

My complaints are: I have not been paid the Federal Share of my gratuity (1969-1976). Secondly, my pension from May 1, 2004 to February 2008 was not paid.

Instead, I was paid from March 1, 2008 to date. I thank you for the effort of your organisation to help us. God bless you.

PTAD: The Directorate would require your bank statement from retirement to date.

ONOH: My name is Onoh. I retired from the Ministry of Public Utility on May 6, 2004. This is a reminder on my call for help on the non-payment of my gratuity and monthly pension. Help me solve this problem of non-payment of my gratuity and 75 months’ pension allowance, which has lingered for years, despite my complaints at several pension verification.

I am from Cross River State. My gratuity is N244,336.32 and monthly pension is N6,244.14. I was placed on pension payroll in September 2010, leaving 75 months behind. This amounts to N468,310.513. Total money owed, including gratuity, is N712,646.82. Thanks in anticipation of your kind support.

PTAD: Bank statement is required from May 5, 2004 to date

OPADEJI: Good day, my name is Opadeji. I retired from NITEL on January 21, 2001 on Grade Level 14 as a senior manager. I participated in the NITEL verification in 2001 and PTAD verification exercise in 2005.

In 2005, when I was going for pensioners’ verification, my documents got missing. I swore to an affidavit on the loss.

As a result, PTAD placed me on Grade Level 9. I sent complaint emails to PTAD several times, but no action was taken on my complaints.

I had to travel to the PTAD headquarters in Abuja. Later, the original copy of the letter of promotion was delivered to me by a good Samaritan.

My salary was subsequently readjusted to Grade Level 14 but less than my salary before the verification and also far less than the pension being paid to my colleagues on the same GL 14.

Based on this, I sent complaint emails but returned, perhaps my emails had been blocked. Since then, I have accepted my fate.

Now that I have the opportunity to forward my complaint through you to PTAD, I shall be grateful if my complaint can be treated with utmost concern. Thank you.

PTAD: Pensioner is on Payroll. Pensioner’s grade level readjusted from grade level 9 to 14 steps 10. He should provide Bank Statement from January 2018 to date for reconciliation.

DUROJAYE:  Hello, my name is Durojaye.  Thank you for the publications of my complaint of short payment of my pension federal share since 2015, on August 24 and 31 August 2022. Please reactivate my current federal share of pension. Please I expect a positive action.

PTAD: Pensioner was called severally but no response. Pensioner should provide Bank Statements from 2015 to Date to authenticate his complaint.

ANONYMOUS:  Good day, I will like to know if my father is eligible for pension under Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). He was appointed on July 3, 1989 and was removed on April 27, 1999.

PTAD: No Name and Details Provided.

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) only attends to the needs of those in the old pension scheme under the management of Pension Transitional Directorate Department (PTAD).

 It has thus left pensioners of the new pension scheme under the management of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) in the cold.

A pensioner, Gbadebo Olatokunbo, stated this in  article entitled: “NUP crocodile tears”.

According to him, the abandonment has led to the exodus of many Federal Government’s agencies from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

Olatokunbo, also a co-founder, the Nigerian Shareholders Solidarity Association (NSSA), said some of those who left the CPS are pensioners of the civil service, Military, Police, Custom and, recently, National Assembly.

He stated that since NUP catered only for her members in the old scheme under PTAD, contributory pensioners became an orphan.

He however, expressed satisfaction with President Bola Tinubu, who recently announced the implementation of the recent fuel subsidy removal palliatives to pensioners.

He recalled: “The challenges of CPS pensioners started when the scheme was introduced in 2007. The Federal Government did not include many benefits enjoyed then till date by pensioners under PTAD for pensioners under PenCom.

Read Also: PTAD: Resolving pensioners’ issues

“While the constitution says that Federal Government’s pensioners must enjoy the same privileges on welfare and salary adjustment, NUP that represented pensioners didn’t see CPS pensioners as their subject matter and, therefore, failed to carry us along.

“This has mostly contributed to the oversights and lapses of the Federal Government at the inception of the new scheme.

“We have written to government agencies on our issues, yet no solution despite that we  served the same government. Because while old scheme pensioners were enjoying some benefits, the new scheme pensioners were left in the desert.

“The NUP member is on the Board of PenCom, but is only representing the interest of old pensioners under pretending that we do not exist. In the same vein, we wish to make it known that PenCom is aware of our challenges but seems reluctant to act because the PenCom Act does not empower it to do so.”

Noting the challenges, Olatokunbo said the issue of progression in the benefits of pensioners every five years as stated in the constitution (Section 173 (3)) has not been implemented since July 1, 2007, while pensioners with PTAD have been enjoying same benefit almost eight times till date.

Another issue, he said, is: “The contributory pensioners that choose the option of life annuity are being treated like an outcast. This started following a policy direction by PenCom that created fears in contributory pensioners and they had to look for cover under annuity in the insurance companies.

“Now that the issue of palliative to vulnerable contributory pensioners has suddenly woken up the NUP from its slumber, we hope that the government will not be deceived with the current activities of NUP as representatives of all pensioners in the country. We believe they are only interested in the palliative.

“Also, now that we have a listening government, contributory pensioners should appreciate them.’’

 while l appeal further that there were several anomalies in the new pension scheme of contributory pensioners that could not be left with PenCom without the Acts of the National Assembly to make it workable in the interest of the vulnerable contributory pensioners; while the helping hands of the NUP; despite their selfishness and other government agencies could should not be overlooked in achieving the objective.’’

Another pensioner, Elder Ladipo David, lamented that the removal of fuel subsidy and inflation have eroded their pension income, rendering them helpless.

He, however, commended President Tinubu, for being sympathetic to their plight.

“We, pensioners, appreciate the efforts of President Tinubu, particularly on salary increases that guarantees increased pension.

“President Tinubu has, in addition, said minimum wage must reflect reality. We are hopeful for the best under the administration.”

He charged PenCom Director-General, Mrs. Dahir-Umar, to continue to work on the shortcomings of the CPS to make it more attractive.