Naij.com reader Katherine O. says non-payment
of pensions to former employees of the now-
defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria is
fast becoming a pressing issue across Nigeria.


When we asked our readers on Facebook if they
or anyone they know are facing similar
problems , we have received a lot of responses,
their tone and subject matter ranging
significantly. A lot of aggrieved pensioners from
other companies have also sent their
complaints.


"PHCN pensioners have not been paid
for four months now, and the
government is doing nothing about it,"
Katherine wrote. "How can people who
served the nation for 35 years not
receive their reward? How are they
supposed to survive?

"The problem affects many PHCN
pensioners in whole Nigeria. Many of
them are on the hospital beds now
because of this situation.

"I have a relative who is a pensioner.
The last time they were paid was in
February 2014. First, the government
said the budget has not been signed by
the President [Goodluck Jonathan] .

Later, they said they are yet to issue out
the money allocated to them. Today,
we’re still waiting," the woman says,
adding that peaceful protests held by
pensioners in Abuja in May were
fruitless.

"It appears that the government is not
even aware of the non-payment, as the
money might have been embezzled."


However, it seems that quite a number of
commentators could relate to the story
submitted by our reader, as either themselves
or their relatives have been affected by the
consequences of non-payment:

Augustine Imeoria: I am involved. Not
only at the federal level. Even states like
Abia have a similar case. I was paid
only in January and March. They owe us
starting from February until July 2014.
God save the pensioners and touch the
hearts of those withholding the merited
monies to be released to us.

Joyce Etus : My dad passed away over
eight years ago, but we are yet to
receive his pension money.


Many urged other Nigerians to set
their grievances aside and pay respect to the
senior pensioners who, after having served their
country for decades, are not receiving their
money:

Eze Blessing : I think you don’t
understand what they are talkign about
here. They mean those who have saved
us diligently in the past, not those that
are presently there. Put urself in their
shoes – they are suffering.

Shamsuddeen Baba Katagum : These old
people they are talking about are those
who served when it was called
NEPA [National Electric Power Authority] .
Is PHCN up to 35 years? And mostly in
Nigeria, whoever served 35 years must
be at least 60 now. Respect the age.

Cordial Meek: I feel so upset. These
pensioners were teachers who must
have taught our politicians, some
security officers, some doctors who
must have treated the leaders in the
past. So what is the greedy leaders’
excuse for not paying them? The leaders
are being paid, and even Boko Haram
(because I believe that there are people
who are sponsoring them), but why not
pay the ones who once served the
country?


A lot of Nigerians are blaming the authorities
for the unfortunate development:


Cordial Meek: Sometimes, it seems that
Nigeria deserves Boko Haram. This
pension issue did not start today, and if
these pensioners were young people,
they would have formed a terrorist
group in order to be given amnesty and
be payed as no one would hold office
position and agree to be a terrorist. The
President and governors are always paid,
so what is the excuse of not paying
those who served?

Ameh Samuel Acholo: There is money
for the delegates’ jamboree to Brasil, for
super-expensive bulletproof cars, for 11
jets in PAF, for looting and flamboyant
lifestyles for our politicians. But not for
the poor pensioners. Transformation
agenda on course!

Mog Olu Please: Nigerian government
needs to address this issue and act
accodingly. My dad mentioned the
same: they have not been paid since
February. I wonder why this is
happening to someone who had served
this country for over 30 years.


We have received multiple complaints from
eployees (former and current) of other
establishments :

Dafeatere Kelvin Okitikpi Ovuoke : Delta
Steel Company pensioners have not
been paid for more than two years, and
the government is not doing anything
about it. It is a general sickness.

Michael Okpara: It is no longer news
that Nigerian government has no
concern for the patriots who laboured to
keep the nation’s life. You are talking of
PHCN, but what about Delta Steel
Company workers?

Oluwaseyi Sodiji: I beg you to please
reach out to the Government of
President Goodluck Jonathan to pay the
pensioners of Nigeria Airways . The
airline has been defunct for over 15
years now, and most of their
counterparts in other countries had
taken their money a long time ago. But
in Nigeria, it is a reverse case. Many of
these retirees have lost their lives for
starvation.

Augustina Ojemeni: You are talking
about PHCN pensioners of yesterday.
What of Nigeria Airways staff? I have not
been paid a dime for over 10 years. This
is how our country is taking care of us.

Vivian Enenche: Four months is a short
period of time. For Benue State primary
teachers it has been over ten months
now since the government has last paid
them.

Ayodeji: My Dad died on the 8th of
January, 2007. Prior to that he was
already on his leave-to-go, as he
worked for the Nigerian Customs as their
librarian for 35 years. He didn’t even
collect his gratuity, talk less of collecting
a day’s pension. Since then, we have
been at it with the Customs service and
PenCom to release his entitlements. We
have been at it for 7 years now, still,
nothing has been done, not even his
contributions with the NHS or Federal
Housing scheme which we were told will
take just 2 months after we had
presented all the necessary papers have
been given to us. We have spent
countless amount of money and even
risked danger of accident and terrorists
attacks going back and forth to Abuja.

Julius A. Adie: I was working with
Costain West Africa PLC as electrician in
plant section from 2001 to October
2013. IBTC is my pension
company. Most of the companies in
Nigeria deduct pension money from our
salaries but will not remit it to our
pension company. Many of my co-
workers who retire or were sacked went
to the pension manager to confirm their
account. On getting there, they were told
their accounts have not been credit for
some years. Since 2010, they have not
dropped anything in my account. I left
the company late last year. Until now,
both my two months’ salaries, my
entitlement have not been paid, not to
talk of my pension which I don’t even
have the hop of collecting.

culled from http://www.naij.com/69324.html

those thieves, I wish the money go enter voicemail.