By Festus Ahon

THE oldest living pensioner of the Delta Steel Company, DSC, in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, Prince Brume-Ezewu, has cried out to the Federal Government to intervene in what he described as deliberate removal of his name from the pension list as well as stoppage of his pension since 2007.

Brume-Ezewu, who is a former legislator and diplomat of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, said he was retired in July 1983 and was only paid his gratuity and monthly pension up till 2007.

Speaking on his ordeal, he stated that everything went well until 2007 when his pension was stopped.

He said: “We have been trying to ask them (PTAD – Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate) to pay because a lot of pensioners of DSC have died in the process of waiting for their payment.

“In 2017, they said we should come for verification which was carried out between November 20 and 28, 2017 at Ekete, in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, where the exercise went well and a confirmation paper was issued to each of us at the end.

“Details of the verification notification are contained in Vanguard newspaper publication of Wednesday, November 15, 2017 and duly signed by the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor.

“They then said we would receive the pension arrears as well as the monthly pension beginning in January 2018. But in the said January 2018 nothing happened until around June 2018, when they started paying pension again.

“When the payment of pension started again in June 2018, amazingly, my name was omitted and even the pensioners that they managed to pay received half pension. That was even the surprise.

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“The trade union people said I shouldn’t bother that they would do everything to make sure that I am paid. They have gone to PTAD over three consecutive times and nothing happened up till now.

“Probably they thought because I retired since July 1983 (about 35 years ago), I should be dead by now I don’t know. Even the paper issued to me during the verification exercise the Trade Union people said I should give it to them which they took to PTAD without any result.

“I want the Human Rights Activists, Civil Society Organizations and well meaning Nigerians to come in and help me because it’s possible I’m not the only one in this predicament.

“What is certain is that I’m the first pensioner of Delta Steel Company Aladja and they don’t need any document or anything to find my name in their book.

“I, therefore, call on the National Assembly, human rights, civil society organisation to help me get PTAD to pay my pension arrears from 2007 till date and my pension, which has been increa-sed by the Federal Government, should come in immediately.”