By Samuel Oyadongha & Emem Idio, Yenagoa

MANY of them cut a  pitiable figure at the verification exercise by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, for Federal pensioners in Bayelsa State. They could barely walk on their own without the assistance of their children and relations. Some were on wheelchairs, some are bedridden, others are suffering from stroke and other terminal illnesses. They are senior citizens  who ordinarily should have been adequately prepared for like their counterparts in the civilized climes.

The biting economic recession has compounded their woes as many could barely survive with their irregular monthly pension, making life very miserable for them. Some have converted the yet to be completed government housing estates and private structures in the town to their temporary abode as they could not afford the cost of rent. Checks revealed that both federal, state and local government pensioners are affected.

In a chat with Pension and You, some of these senior citizens narrated their painful ordeal. According to them, they have been abandoned to their fates by a country they put in their very best for.

Pa Dudufa, a pensioner said: “It has been a trying period for most pensioners in the country. As I speak with you, though God has been kind to me that I have a house of mine, others  have no shelter of their own. The government should harmonise the scheme and save us the pain of converging every now and then for verification. The Federal Government pension has not been harmonized since 1994. I am still receiving N5,000. What do you think that paltry sum can take care of? But for my children, it would have been difficult. But many others are not so lucky as some still have children in school that they are taking care of. It  has been a living hell for them. The government should increase and harmonize same to reflect the economic realities.”

A cross-section of pensioners at verification by PTAD at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The octogenarian, whose sight has been failing  over the years, when asked to sign a portion of the verification document, as his son tried to guide his hand to attest his signature, retorted, “I want my money and not this endless exercise. Is this my reward for my selfless service to my fatherland? ”

Another pensioner, Thomas Etele said: “As far as I am concerned, the series of verifications by the various tiers of government aimed at identifying ghost pensioners and putting a stop to fraudulent payments though good have turned out to be pain to many pensioners resident in the far communities in the hinterland such as Agge, Azuzuama and Agoro to mention but a few.

How do you want them to travel to Yenagoa for verification given the high marine transportation cost and irregular payment of pension?  We are really suffering; it is God that has been keeping us alive.”

For Mr. Ogu Nicholas Amakimi, an octogenarian, who was led to the arena by his son in law, Julius, simply said things could have been worst but for God and his caring children and in- law.

Chief  Emmanuel Namatebe, said:  “The plight of pensioners in general particularly in Bayelsa State is very pitiable. The state government owes pensioners several months. At the time they commenced payment, they paid one month and thereafter started paying half for two consecutive months. The federal government has pumped in enough money to the states to offset pension allowances and to cover any money owed salaries in the states. But Bayelsa State pensioners are yet to receive December monthly allowances. A lot of us have died, others bed ridden, and so on.”

Mr. Williams Charles (69 years): “It is the grace of God that has continued to keep us alive  because we are  a forgotten people. Some of us are surviving through our children who are now trying to help us out, but really pensioners are suffering. We are tired of too much verification. Most times we will come out like this for verification they will drop some names. This is how we have been suffering as pensioners.”

Mr. Lele Kingsley, “This is something they should do once and for all but they do it every time and it is taking its toll on us. Look at me I left the service in 1978 and they are telling me to go and bring documents like letter of first appointment and my first appointment was in 1962 and everything was by then gazetted under Eastern Nigeria gazette.

Pensions from the bank

How do I get these documents?  In spite of all these things that they are doing, people who died are still being paid. They are just playing pranks.

“They should have allowed the banks to do it since we get our pensions from the bank. The bank can identify you that you are alive. All these date of birth and letter of first appointment are unnecessary. You can imagine the stress we old citizens are being made to pass through. As you can see, some of the pensioners are on wheelchairs, some are bedridden, others are suffering from stroke and other terminal sickness, and it’s so terrible.”

Madam Grace Timothy–  (Octogenarian): “The government does not care about us. They treat us shabbily as if we do not matter, and we have been relegated to the background having served this country for decades.

We do not deserve this kind of treatment. Why must we be made to go through so much suffering before we are being paid our entitlements? This is wickedness.”