Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) retirees have urged the Governor, Godwin Emefiele and management to release their retirement benefits, to enable them cope with the national emergency triggered by COVID-19 pandemic.
The 1,500 pensioners, who belong to the ‘Pre-2001Group,’ said management should credit their accounts with the entitlements approved by the board of directors.
Former Secretary to Lagos State Government Reuben Olorunfunmi Basorun said in a statement titled: ‘Charity Begins At Home’ that the entitlements were from the salary increase, which was done since 2010.
The elder statesman, who described himself as ‘Employee No.44 and Pensioner No. 224’, retired as Deputy Director, Domestic Operations in October 1979. He was employed by CBN on January 5, 1959.
He recalled that after meetings with the Pre-2001 Pensioners Club, the bank promised to release the details for their benefits after a headcount in January 2020.
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Basorun lamented that despite the headcount held throughout the country four months ago; no positive action has been taken by the bank.
He recalled that he wrote letters of appeal to the CBN governor twice and sent four text messages, to no avail.
Painting an awful condition of the retirees, Basorun said many of his colleagues have fallen into the category of vulnerable persons, while some have died because of the harsh economic conditions.
Urging Emefiele to consider their plight, he said: “At these crucial and trying times in Nigeria whereby the Central Bank is offering a lot of useful advice to the government to cushion the negative effect of COVID-19 on sectors, I appeal to the governor and management to release for the credit of the accounts of all categories of pensioners of Central Bank of Nigeria (especially the Pre-2001 Group), the entitlements approved for them now.
“After all, our elders say: ‘Charity begins at home.’”
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