BY EBUN SESSOU
They were helpless, looking dejected like a people waiting to be crucified for a sin they did not commit. Waiting hopelessly under the scorching sun for the pension payments, they groaned silently just as they muted few curses on  those who are responsible for their plight.  As old as they are, they cannot be too sure of a better tomorrow.

They recalled how they spent several years working tirelessly and loyally for the country they believe in but only to be paid back in such manner. They have been denied their rights after retirement when they needed it most.  Thousands of them have died while waiting for the stipend that was not forthcoming. Families have been separated owing to their present situation of not meeting their financial obligations. Some as a result have been mentally traumatised.

Mrs T. Adegbite, Adodo and Mrs Adedoyin Bello

It was an assemblage of pensioners who met at Federal Civil Service Club, Awolowo Way, Ikoyi, during the week to discuss common problems regarding their irregular pension fund.  Ironically, the meeting was one of those regular ones which has not provided answer to the perennial pension administration problem in this country.  Hundreds of them were seen re-opening another chapter in the struggle.

On entering the compound, the horrible odour of urine which oozed out from every nook and cranny of the premises was enough to explain the resolve of the aged pensioners to pursue their case even under that condition.

The meeting is a weekly event organised for them to be informed on the day to day activities relating to the issues of their pension and gratuity payment.

But, there seems to be no positive result as to when they will be duly paid. They were probably regretting all their years of work. “What do you want us to say, would you people claim ignorant of what is happening to us? We are tired of talking, we are not saying anything, as you can see we don’t know what the problem is.

Oladele Jegede

This is the way we have been coming for the past six years and nothing seems to have yielded better result. We have been coming to this place for the past six years, it is the same old story that they are telling us.” a group of retirees echoed.

But, the intervention of the chairman of a group called, “Integrity Group”, Mr. David Adodo revealed that their refusal to speak on their plight, emanated from the deception they have received from the Federal Civil Servants Pensioner sector, a group that has been representing the union for the past sixteen years.

According to him, “the group headed by Mr. Pius Chukwura and Pa. Demola Osoba has been lying to us for the past sixteen years and giving us promises. But, we are wise now and we are ready to take up the fight”, he said.

After a while, some pensioners  started shouting, “Help us, help us, we are tired of this treatment, we need our money” they chorused.

Speaking individually with them, Otunba Arashi Lawal, the vice chairman,  Federal Civil Servants, Nigerian Union of Pensioners said, “When we discovered that the union is not representing us well, we made our case known to the government and we were given a letter to hold an election.

Kehinde Abiodun

The election is to nominate candidates who will be representing us well. The former group was not elected. They only nominated themselves but we have decided to hold an election on April 11. The group has been there for the past years.  But when we discovered that there is no better result, we decided to form a new group and it is called, “The Integrity Group”. It was formed six months ago.

Asked what the situation is in the union, he said, “The pensioners are fighting within themselves and this is because they believe that some people are cheating the pensioners. They have been there for the past 22 years and they are ones that are recognised by the government in Abuja.

“There were lots of complaints by our members. There is no tangible result but only flimsy excuses. Since the formation of the new group, there are various interventions. We have been authorised by the government to hold election but the union executives said they wouldn’t join in the election.

They don’t want to leave the position they have been occupying for the past sixteen years. We know the plight of the pensioners. Some of them haven’t been paid for the past six years and some of the gratuity has not been paid.

We want to fight the government in such a way that our money will be paid on time. Most of us have been retired since 2006, yet we don’t have identity cards. The federal government doesn’t recognise its retirees and that is why they are talking about ghost pensioners. The same government has failed to verify its pensioners.

Imoru Zachari

For Mr. Adodo, “It is difficult to ascertain the number of pensioners in Lagos State chapter. They come every week to resolve their issues and so, we update our data every week. Record has it that over seven hundred pensioners are presently registered under the umbrella of Nigerian Union of Pensioners but only one hundred people are always available at the meeting due to logistics problems.

“Some of them are coming from far and they have to trek many miles before getting to the venue of the meeting on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi. We have people from Epe. Some pensioners from other states also joined us so as to be able to resolve their issues.”

Tackling some of these issues, he said, non payment of pension arrears, salaries and removal of some of the existing pensioners from payroll, delay in payment top the list.

“Some pensioners have not been paid for the past ten years. And that is why we have formed another group to tackle these issues.”

So, the group was formed out of necessity to alleviate the plight of the pensioners. There are so many people who have died in this struggle. Some of us have lost our family members, some members’ wives have deserted them, some cannot pay their house rents again. So, the new group is formed to put pressure on the government and union leaders. Pensioners have been traumatised.  Our primary responsibility is to help the pensioners.

“Even the Task Force that is saddled with the responsibility of investigating the plight of pensioners need the assistance of some civil servants so as to know how to interpret the chart because the processes are not being followed properly.”

The treasurer of the group, Alhaji Sanni Waheed said, “the three main reasons why the group was formed was to find out the causes of the pensioners’ problems; find out the department that can help to champion their cause; and crush any obstacle on the way of the pensioners as well as giving legitimacy to a union that will fully represent the plight of the pensioners”, he said.

Olufemi Philips

In his opinion, Reverend Samuel Aderonmu, said: “I have been a pensioner for the past 24 years and when the group was formed, we were 22 in attendance and within three years, we tackled the problems of harmonisation for all Federal Pensioners in Nigeria and the late Gen. Sanni Abacha approved it and in 1997, payments were paid towards the end of that year.”

Explaining the challenges he faced while fighting the cause of pensioners, he said, “We were contributing money voluntarily to fight the cause of the pensioners. We sacrificed our time and energy for the union. There was no check-up system. But now, they are giving check up system to the people I handed over to in 1997. And I advised that pensioners should work as a team so as to tackle problems in the union.”

An encounter with some of the retirees also reveals the untold hardship that they go through on a daily basis. Mrs. Taiwo Adegbite, a retiree from Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, said, she hasn’t been paid since she retired in 2006.

“The union that has been representing us has not been truthful with us. We have been doing series of capturing and yet no payment has been made.

For the capturing, we were asked to bring all the  documents that are necessary for the verification and we have been doing that over the years.

I have not collected anything except for gratuity. Government has refused to pay us our money. Some people have died in the course of the struggle.

“Since 2006, I have been living from hand to mouth. And my husband who is the bread winner in the family has passed on. I have five children and things have been difficult. I pray that none of my children will work in the ministry”, she lamented.

Mr. Kehinde Abiodun, 65, who has retired since 2004 said, he has only been paid gratuity and part of his pension salaries. “But since, 2010, I have received nothing. I am going through pain right now and I have to join my family in Lagos.

Safuri Taiwo

Since 2010, I have been living by the grace of God. I can’t explain what has happened to me. We have lost thousands of pensioners in this struggle, but I have been able to survive by the grace of God. We have been deprived of good lives. Now, I can no longer discharge my duty as the head of the family.

I can’t give to people voluntarily, I can’t meet up with my spiritual obligations. After serving the nation for 35 years, there is nothing to show for it. It is unfair for the government of this country to treat its aged as nobodies.

“There are lots of people that are dying everyday. We are only attending the meeting to fulfill all righteousness. There is nothing we have been able to achieve. People trek miles away to get to this place every Wednesday.”

Oladele Jegede, 73, who served as a lawyer in many ministries including the Dodan Barracks said he participated in almost every tribunal set up by the government between 1978 and 1993.

“I retired voluntarily in 1994 and I was paid my pension until August, 2010. In that year, there was an exercise done at the Federal Civil Service Club which I participated.   Ever since, I have not received anything and it is over nineteen months.  I participated in the capturing exercise that was done in 2011. I have been to Abuja to know why I have not been paid, but there is nothing tangible,” he stated.

Asked, how he has been coping, he said, “I have been fortunate because I still practice my profession, although, things have been difficult. The practice has not been robust due to my age. My income has been grounded completely. I am living on my children’s assistance.”

A 56 year-old Safuri Taiwo Are said, she was disengaged after the pronouncement of Gen. Obasanjo that Civil Servants from the age of 45  should be retired. “And since then, I have not been paid  both gratuity and pension. I was in Bonny camp, there after, I was transferred to Ordinance Hospital, Obalende and that was where I was retired.  I have been going from one place to another just to ensure that my pension is paid. But all efforts  are to no avail.

“I was asked to come to Awolowo way, but I haven’t been paid. I retired in September 2005 as a cook. But, I have been living from hands to mouth. God has been faithful to me. My children have been supporting me financially, although they are not financially buoyant. I have been doing some petty trading but things have been very difficult. I served the country judiciously but I have been denied my right,” he noted.

Imoru Zacharri, retired from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Kano in 2006 but he hasn’t been paid since he retired. “I have only received my gratuity. Most people have died in the struggle. Families have been torn apart and people can no longer feed their families or send their children to school. We can’t pay our house rent again. I can no longer cope with life and things have been terrible,” he said.

Mrs. Adedoyin Bello, served in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and she said, “I was disengaged in July, 2006 and in 2007, my gratuity was paid and I was short-paid. In 2008, I received some amount and since then, I have not been paid anything.  Life has been miserable and my family has been undergoing series of difficulties”, she groaned.

Olufemi Philips who is the founder of the “Integrity Group” which was founded on June 19, 2011, said, “the group was created as result of the adamant posture in the office of the Federal Civil Service, Abuja, to pay five years arrears and I decided to form a group.

The reason is to campaign against criminality going on at the head of service. There is a group called Federal Civil Servants Pensioner sector, we have been campaigning for their removal because they have been collecting check-up dues and have failed to conduct election.”

An attempt to speak with the executives of the Federal Civil Servants Pensioner sector, proved abortive as non was ready to speak on the burning issue.