We’re dying gradually, Pensioners remand Taraba Gov over unpaid benefits.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

Close observers of the situation have expressed worry over the plight of retirees in Taraba State.

Senior residents who have borne their pitiful position for years are losing patience, stating that the state administration appears to be giving lip respect to their plight.

This may have compelled them to stage street protests three times in the last six months.

Pensioners and several of their family members gathered at the gate of the Taraba government house in July to express their dissatisfaction over underpaid payments.

After waiting in vain for the government to address their plight, pensioners led by Taraba State Concerned Retirees stormed the state House of Assembly a few days ago, imploring lawmakers to press the government to pay their benefits in order to rescue them from untimely death and suffering.

They lamented their plight in a letter to Assembly Speaker Prof. Albasu Kunin, including their inability to bring their children to school due to a lack of cash.

“We implore your humble office to intercede over the non-payment of Gratuities for State and Local Government Retirees and Pension for Local Government Staff Retirees,” the letter, signed by the group’s Chairman and Secretary, Silas Jafta and Yohanna Ajiya, among others, states.

“Speaker, you may be interested to know that many Local Government employees have been retired for more than 8-10 years without receiving pensions.” The failure to pay gratuities and pensions to local government employees has caused us great pain. Children were expelled from school, and several died as a result of illnesses for which there was no money to cure them.

“Speaker, please use your office to bring the topic before the House for debate.” We did everything to persuade the Governor to pay, but he was deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly dea

In a letter to Governor Darius Ishaku dated March 23, 2022, the Dialogue Committee of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, outlined their demands, which included “Payment of Gratuity, Enrollment of Local Government Retirees in the Pension Scheme, Implementation of the Approved 33% Pension Increase for Retirees, and Prompt Payment of Monthly Pension, among other things

Seven months later, there appears to be no green light, and the retirees are growing impatient.

The state currently has three distinct pensioner groups: Retired Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Service, Taraba State Concerned Retirees, and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners.

Speaking on the matter, Yusuf Sansani, Secretary of the Dialogue Committee and State Public Relations Officer, PRO of the NUP, among others, stated, “Backlog of gratuity is estimated at N40 billion because gratuity was last paid to individuals who retired in 2010 for 12 excellent years no gratuity.” Currently, approximately 1000 Local Government, LG, retirees who left employment between one and ten years ago are not enrolled for pension. This group has taken the worst of the damage, suffering from a variety of ailments, dying prematurely, and being unable to provide for their family. Every day, people retire, and the number of retirees is growing. Pension payments are also epileptic.