Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, pensioners have pleaded with the management of the bank to approve the payment of palliatives for them to cushion the sufferings and hardship the rampaging coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on them.

The apex bank retirees also appeal to the management to hasten the review of their pensions as agreed to alleviate the pains of the over 5000 pensioners.

In a letter dated April 20 to the CBN Governor, the pensioners through the Publicity Secretary of their body, Chief Chimezie C. Ahaneku, among others, while commending the management for its handling of the nation’s economy especially in this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, appealed to the governor “to kindly approve an immediate payment of at least two months pension gratis to all the CBN Pensioners totaling 5,000 in number, as an interim palliative measure, to cushion and ameliorate the present hardship arising from the general national lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus scourge currently ravaging the whole world, Nigeria inclusive, pending the speedy conclusion of the process and the actual payment of the long-awaited new pension rates arising from the general pension review.

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“We believe that you would agree with us that the issue of palliative at this time to cushion the harsh and adverse effects of the novel coronavirus is not only a national one but it is also being implemented worldwide by various governments, organizations, and institutions worldwide, particularly in favour of the elderly and most vulnerable persons in the society and we, therefore, expect the CBN to do some for its Pensioners who, as elderly people also, rank among the most vulnerable in our society.

“If approved, this would not be the first time the CBN would be paying a palliative to its Pensioners. For instance, after the CBN Pensioners won the pension harmonization case at the Supreme Court on 21st May 2010, after a protracted legal battle, the Pensioners thereafter expected a quick implementation of the judgment but the CBN Management promised to pay the harmonized pension rates before the Christmas day of that year.

“But, when the payment was not ready at the time promised, the then Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi-led CBN administration graciously approved and paid each CBN Pensioner 6 months pension gratis in December 2010  Palliative as a compensation for the delay before later paying the harmonized pension the following year.

So, there is already a precedent in this regard at a time when there was even nothing like a national emergency occasioned by either Covid 19 like we have today or any other cause. So, we very humbly request you to approve a palliative for us now at this very critical time and we would be very grateful if you do that.”

On the general review, the letter said “You would also agree with us that a general pension review is now overdue. You would recall the agreement that was reached between a high-level CBN Management representatives and the leadership of the CBN Pensioners’ Club team then led by its Acting President at the time, Chief C.M.E Katchy, in March 2017 for the urgent general review of pension in the CBN, and a follow up statement of the leader of the CBN Management team that attended the CBN Pensioners’ Club’s Bi-annual National Conference held at Abuja in September 2017, promising on behalf of the CBN Management that the general pension review would be effected sooner than later.

We are disappointed that after that agreement that was reached and the subsequent promises made in 2017- about three years ago, the general pension review has, up to now, not been effected while Pensioners continue to die in droves without receiving what was legitimately due to them while still alive. We don’t know what is responsible for this undue delay.

“It is pertinent to note that at the last meeting between a high-level CBN Management team led by the CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Mr. Edward L. Adamu, which included some Departmental Directors and the CBN Pensioners, Club top leaders led by our current President, Alhaji Adamu Mohammed Tabra, at the CBN Head Office Complex, in Abuja, on the 20th of August 2019 -over 8 months ago, CBN Pensioners were told that work on the review was nearing completion.

In furtherance of the process towards the payment of the new pension arising from the general review, the CBN undertook a Head Count of all its Pensioners nationwide in January 2020 to ascertain those still alive and thus eligible for the payment.

Our hopes were then raised that the new pension rate would be paid the following month-February 2020, just before COVID 19 became very noticeable in the country and before the general national lockdown only to be disappointed once again that up till now that has not been done thereby exposing us to great hardship.”

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According to the pensioners “in view of the foregoing, we very passionately appealing to you to kindly do two things for us now.

The first is, being a compassionate and humane leader as we believe you are, approving at least a two months pension payment gratis to every CBN Pensioner as an immediate interim palliative to cushion the adverse and harsh effects of the COVID 19 pandemic and the attendant general lockdown.

As very elderly people now, we are among the most vulnerable in the society and therefore deserve this benevolence and favour from our former employer-the CBN which would go a long way in further cementing the existing cordial relationship between the Bank and its Pensioners.

“Our second and a more important request is for action to be seriously expedited to ensure the prompt commencement of the payment of the new pension and the accrued arrears arising from the impending general pension review, most preferably, before the end of May 2020.

We sincerely believe that the two issues as requested above are doable and can be done simultaneously if the CBN Management, under your able leadership, is favourably disposed to doing so.”

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