SHOBOYEDE: Good day, I have a complaint to lodge on my mother’s gratuity. She retired since 2004, but has not been paid her gratuity. She started collecting her monthly pension in 2010 without the arrears. Some people have been collecting money from the old woman, promising to help her get her gratuity, but up till now, she is yet to receive any kobo, after serving the Federal Government for 35 years at the Military Hospital, Yaba, Lagos as a Health Assistant GL 04. Even the monthly pension is not fully paid. We will appreciate if the Federal Government could do something about it.
PTAD: Pensioner has been contacted and requested to provide her bank statement from January 2004 to date and departmental file as she is a federal pensioner.
SULE: Hello. I am Sule from Jos, Plateau State. 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. The last 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 all to no avail. In 2020, I was called from PTAD to submit some documents, including bank account details, which I did. I hope Omobola will assist me.
PTAD: NOK should provide a copy of verification slip to pull up details.
Princess Modupe: Good day, I am Princess Modupe, a pensioner in Osun State and have a federal share. I did not receive my February 2022 monthly payment and have not been paid till May, this year. Also. I was also not paid my consequential three months’ arrears. Kindly help me.
PTAD: Pensioner is disqualified.
OLOTU: Dear Omobola, my name is Olotu. I do appreciate the time and energy you are expending on pension issues. This is the second time I am writing to you. My uncle Sgt. Saburi’s pension was stopped since August 1999. Do please help him.
PTAD: Pensioner is advised to submit career documents for review.
EYONG: I am Eyong. On June 30, 2021, I drew the attention of PTAD to those who retired from July 31, 2007 and were paid 10 years’ pension in advance. It is presumed that since 2017, they are without pension.
Section 45 PRA 2O14 gives PTAD the duty to pay them. On the June 14, 2021, PTAD replied that it does not fall under their responsibility. I want to believe that PTAD either deliberated lied that they do not know that to be their duty or ignorant of their functions under Section 45 PRA 2014, which says that they shall carry out the functions of the relevant pension boards or offices in the public services. (a) To make budgetary estimate for pensioners and those exempted under Section 5 (1) (b) PTAD was created to take care of those who had pension and gratuity under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), but were not exempted from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Any time the PRA 2014 wants to refer to those who have pension to collect under DBS the word “Upon Retirement” is used. Oxford Dictionary says upon means something that will, which is known to take place in future and when that happens, then the other one follows. At the commencement of this Act, those who served over 15 years before the take off of the CPS know that they will be entitled to pension when they retire, but they will become pensioners upon retirement and it is only then they will be among the pensioners.
The Oxford Dictionary says the word existing means found or use. PTAD should understand those two words upon an existing. It is upon retirement that PTAD will say you are qualified to be a pensioner and use him as such. It is high time PTAD did something for those categories of pensioners who have pension under DBS and CPS and were paid for 10 years. Because at the end of the 10 years, they have a right to pension.
Section 49 states that PTAD will cease to exist after the death of the last pensioner. It is only those who retired under the DBS that receive pension after retirement while the government pays those under the CPS while they are serving.
The same PTAD is paying those who served the Federal Government and state, and the Federal Government is paying them the federal share.
If Section 117 (4) says PTAD should apply the same rules and regulation used to pay those on DBS and they are paid for only 10 years and stopped, what crime did they commit that they should be paid for only 10 years.
PTAD should know that they are created for helping those not exempted from CPS, but have pension with the DBS since the government has a duty to pay them after retirement. We are looking forward to hearing from the Director-General of PTAD about these categories of pensioners. Thank you
PTAD: The cut-off date for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) is June 25, 2007 and not July 31, 2007. The pensioner should refer to the PRA 2014 for proper guidance.