Retired Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ogude has called for help after retiring two years ago under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) without receiving pension benefits.
The same goes for a pensioner of National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu, Mr. Okechukwu, who retired in 2022 without pension benefit since.
Moshudi, an annuitant with African Alliance, who is meant to be paid monthly pension by African Alliance has not been paid since August, last year.
These are some of the cases of many Retirement Savings Account (RSA) holders under the CPS who are stranded in one way or the other with different pension issues.
According to retired ASP Ogude, who said he is writing to the newspaper with heavy tears and pain in his heart, said it has become a problem for him to afford one square meal a day for his family.
He said: “This is two years of my retirement but there is no salary no allowance. My children are out of school and I am finding it difficult to continue with my medication.
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“Also, my landlord is threatening to throw me out with my situation. Our one meal a day has become a problem. I am appealing to the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to kindly release my pension to my PFA before me and my family will die of hunger, starvation and poor medical care.’’
For Agbeleshe, a retiree of the Nigerian Immigration Service, he wants the problem of his multiple PIN numbers resolved.
Busola retired in October, 2023 at a federal institution and had submitted her documents to her PFA since my retirement.
“I have been expecting my accrued benefits payment but not it is forthcoming. I contacted my pension manager but he claimed that my benefits have not been paid to them. I hereby appeal for help,” she said.
For Mr. Akanbi, he said he has applied to Trustfund Pension requesting for his retirement benefit since early January, but he did not get any response.
Mrs. Caroline wrote: “I am annuitant with African Alliance. I have not been paid in the past eight months. I need help.’’
Bakare, a retiree of Federal Inland Revenue Service, who retired since 2013 said: “We heard that the Federal Government has increased monthly pension since 2024 but up till this month, we are yet to receive any increment. I will like to understand why this is so.’’
Meanwhile, A professor of Business Administration at the Federal University, Lokoja, Mathew Fashagba has said Nigeria’s pension scheme is failing retirees.
Prof. Fashagba called for the reforms of the pension scheme to enable it to meet the requirements of pensioners.
Fashagba, who delivered the 25th inaugural lecture of the Federal University, Lokoja, said the reforms were necessary because the contributory pension scheme has not met the requirements to guarantee adequate retirement benefits.
“When an Act is passed but fails to achieve its objectives, it becomes necessary to review it urgently. In the case of Nigeria’s Contributory Pension Scheme, the Act has not successfully provided adequate retirement benefits,” he said.
Head of Corporate Communications of PenCom, Ibrahim Buwai declined comments when asked to react to complaints of RSAs under the scheme.
