Pay us while we are alive, not when we are dead -pensioners urge Fed Govt
Many pensioners have urged the Federal Government and their Pension Fund Administratird (PFA) to pay them their annuity and pension entitlements whike they are still alive.
The pensioners in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, said they need their money to take care of their feeding, medicals and other bills.
The pensioners who lamented over their sufferings, also urged the federal government to increase their monthly pension in line witj the present economiv reality.
Mr Ekpemyong Francis, who retired from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in May 2023 said he was yet to receive his retirements till date.
“We are still waiting for the Federal Government to release the accrued rights to my PFA to calculate my pension.
“My family and I are hungry. I can’t pay my children’s school fees. My landlord is on my neck and to top it all, I can’t access the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) anymore.
“If you look into my eyes, you will know that I need urgent medical attention. We the pensioners in this country are suffering,” he said.
Mrs Joy Izor, who retired with her husband from the Ministry of Defence in 2016, said she had been struggling with life.
“My PFA is IBTC. The agency worked my monthly pension to be N20,000 per month, but l went to annuity that offered me N25, 000,00 monthly, since then no additional kobo has been added to me.
“We have been struggling to feed with this stipend. l am suffering, my husband is suffering too. What is our offence? We served our nation for 35 years.
“After retirement I opened a shop to sell soft drinks, but government demolished the shop. Now this amount cannot even feed my family and I, talk less of our medical bills and other things.
“Some of us couldn’t cope with this hardship. Even my neighbour that retired two years ago died two months ago. People look down on us because we are retirees,” she said.
Izor said that when her shop was demolished, she ran to the company that she was selling their products for help, in terms of getting the product on credit to sell and repay, but her appeal was turn down.
“Even my bank refused to grant me loan to continue the business because l am a retiree.
“No friend again, only God is sustaining me and my family now.
“I am now appealing to this present government to help us pay all our rights now that we are alive.
“I pray that all our colleagues that have fallen that God will accept their souls. For those of us still alive, I also pray God will help us to reap the fruit of our labour,” she said.
Mrs Grace Yussuf, retired as a Deputy Editor-In-Chief in NAN, said that nothing had been paid to her since she retired in May 2023, while her health insurance had been stopped.
“In fact, since March 2023, nothing has been paid. This is because government has not paid our accrued rights.
“My NHIS that was stopped immediately after my retirement has been a huge challenge, I spend a lot on lab tests and drugs instead of just ten per cent.
“In fact, it is difficult to register for the private NHIS programme with 45k.
“They are even telling me I have issues with my payment that it has not dropped for the past three months that I registered. So no access to cheap medicals,” Yussuf said
Mrs Nkiru Osisioma who retired in October 2019 as a deputy director in Federal Ministry of Education Abuja, said her entitlements were paid in January 2021.
Osisioma said though the payment hax been regular, there was need to increase it.
“Since then, I have been receiving my monthly pension from First Guarantee Pensions but now its Access Pensions.
“I usually receive N67,000 until last two years I got pension enhancement from my PFA N71,000. They are regular in their payment but no increment since then.
Mrs Christiana Ubah said that she retired in 2015 from the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Plannin, said she had not been paid for the past six months by African Alliance.
Ubah urged the Federal Government to come to their aid, saying: “today I can’t feed myself, see how my face is, its hunger.
“Among us here are people that retired since march 2023 and have not been paid a kobo. Look at how harsh the economy is because of our leaders.
“We don’t have anything to live on now, every year they will tell us in the media that pension fund asset has increased, why are pensioners not paid?
“We have a constitution in the country that every five years salaries will increase and pension will increase too,” she said.
Ubah said that the CPS was an improvement from the Define Benefit Scheme (DBS), and they were better than the CPS.
A legal practitioner, Mr Emmanuel Ikenna, said that pension was important to the nation’s development and should be properly managed.
Ikenna, who advised that pension should not be scrapped, said that the Pension Reform Act which serves as the rules and regulations for the PFA, RSA and regulators should be reviewed at intervals.
He said that pension makes provision for a retired person who had worked for so many years and need to relax and be taken care of.
“ Pension is a regular payment made by the state to people of or above the official retirement age and can also be withdrawn in some special circumstances,” he said.
Mrs Ejiro Osas, a civil servant, said that pension scheme was a good one but after retirement the PFA should ask RSA holders what they want.
“Some people may want to collect all their money to invest or do something else, PFA should not stress the RSA holder.”
However, an official with the National Pension Commission (PenCom) said there were certain misconception about the withdrawal of lump sum from a retiree’s RSA balance.
The official explained that retirees were allowed to withdraw a portion of their pension savings as a lump sum upon retirement.
“There is a misconception that lump sum is fixed at 25 per cent of a retiree’s RSA balance. This is far from the reality.
“In line with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2014 (PRA 2014), PenCom issued a Revised Regulation on the Administration of Retirement and Terminal Benefits.
“The regulation established a Standard Retirement Benefit Computation (SRBC) template.
“This is an automated template developed by PenCom for PFAs to calculate retirement benefits such as lump sum and monthly/quarterly pension, using age, gender, final salary, and the RSA balance.
“The amount of pension savings a retiree can withdraw as lump sum and monthly pension are based on the template.
“Significantly, since lump sum is not fixed, the retiree has a right to negotiate and choose to collect either the maximum lump sum due to him/her or take a minimum lump sum to boost his monthly or quarterly pension,” the official said.
The official said that under the CPS framework, retirees must maintain a balance in their RSAs sufficient to secure monthly pensions equivalent to 50 per cent of their last salary.
“The remaining funds can be withdrawn as a lump sum, offering flexibility while ensuring long-term financial security during retirement,” the official said.
The official said that the template permits an RSA holder to withdraw a lump sum ranging from a minimum of 25 per cent to a maximum of 50 per cent of the RSA balance.
The official also added that however, the monthly pension must first be calculated to meet the 50 per cent replacement ratio of the retiree’s last salary.
“If a retiree’s RSA balance is insufficient to provide a 50 per cent replacement ratio of their final pay as a monthly pension, PenCom’sregulation allows the RSA holder to withdraw the minimum permitted lump sum of 25 per cent of their RSA balance.
“However, it should be noted that pension and lump sum withdrawals have an inverse relationship.
“The higher the lump sum, the lower the pension, and vice versa,’’ the official said.
The official said that they the key principle of pension management was balancing immediate lump sums with the long-term sustainability of monthly payments
The source said that allowing RSA holders to withdraw all their pension savings at retirement would defeat the primary objectives of the CPS of ensuring that workers receive retirement benefits as and when due to cater for their livelihood during old age.
“The primary objective of the pension reform in Nigeria is to protect retires from destitution in their golden years.
“An RSA is not a provident fund that can be withdrawn 100 per cent and leave the retiree with no periodic pensions, which is contrary to the requirement of Section 173 of the 1999 Constitution,” the official said.
The official explained that withdrawing 100 per cent pension savings at retirement, would deplete the RSA, contrary to the provision of Section 173 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees the right to pensions for all public officers.
“This is because payment of all or most of pension savings at retirement translates to zero pension for retirees and this will cause undue hardship and destitution for retirees.
“The PRA 2014 allows employers to establish Additional Benefits Schemes (ABS), through which they can provide enhanced retirement benefits, including gratuity payments to their employees.
“This means that employers have the flexibility to offer additional severance benefits beyond the mandatory retirement benefits stipulated by the CPS, depending on the terms of employment, affordability, and collective bargaining.’’
The official also noted that the attention of PenCom had been drawn to non-payment to annuitants under the African Alliance Insurance Company, which was being regulated by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
The source said that PenCom was working with NAICOM to ensure African Alliance paid all outstanding annuitants to the affected retirees.
“To prevent future occurrence, PenCom has enforced a regulatory requirement for all pension funds under annuity to be domiciled with Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs).
“It is important to clarify that no PFA has stopped paying retirement and terminal benefits,”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the point of retirement, the pensioners would pick either programmed withdrawal or annuity.
Programmed withdrawal is usually managed by PFAs and annuity is managed by insurance companies.
Programmed Withdrawal is a retirement plan offered by Pension Fund Administrators for monthly/quarterly payments to a retiree for a lifetime.
And annuity is a retirement plan purchased from an approved life insurance company that provides monthly or quarterly income to the retiree during his/her lifetime. (NAN)
Concerns have been raised regarding the safety of local law enforcement officers in the wake of the early Saturday morning incident at Polo Roundabout.
After two policemen from the Nigeria Police Force’s “C” Division tried to apprehend a suspect who was discovered in possession of a cache of hard drugs, the attack took place.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, who shared details of the event on his official X account, the suspect fled upon noticing the police, abandoning a bag filled with hard drugs and substances believed to be Indian hemp. The suspect then ran into the Jenta Adamu area of Jos North.
However, the situation took a violent turn when the suspect returned with a group of motorcycle riders, launching a vicious attack on the officers as they were en route to the station with the confiscated drugs.
During the chaos, one of the officers, Inspector Ikale Muhammed, was severely injured in the assault. He was quickly rushed to Bingham University Teaching Hospital for emergency treatment.
A Bajaj Boxer motorcycle was found at the scene of the attack, and police reinforcements were swiftly deployed to restore order.
Authorities are now working to track down those responsible for the violent assault.
News
Notorious terrorist known as Amirul Khahid, others killed by Sildiers, weapons seized
Notorious terrorist known as Amirul Khahid, others killed by Sildiers, weapons seized
Nigerian Army soldiers killed Abba Alai (Amirul Khahid of Alafa), a known terrorist commander who had been on security watchlists for a while, in a series of decisive operations over the weekend.
In fierce firefights that lasted over four hours in Bama and Gwoza, the commander and many other militants were killed.
11 RPG bombs, 760 rounds of 7.62mm linked ammunition, 220 rounds of 12.7mm linked ammunition, one AK-47 rifle, 440 rounds of 7.62mm by 54mm ammunition, General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), a Mowag armored tank engine, a QJC W85 anti-aircraft gun, three light machine guns, and one M60 machine gun were among the substantial arsenal of weapons that the troops seized during the operation.
Meanwhile, in Jibia Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State, Nigerian soldiers rescued 10 hostages, including seven women and three children, from a notorious terrorist commander who surrendered to the troops. The commander also handed over two AK-47 rifles.
In Delta State, a significant victory was achieved as soldiers captured a high-profile commander of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN), identified as Ekene Ifeanyi. He was apprehended in his hideout within the Issele Asagba Forest in Oshimili South LGA.
A statement by the Army confirming the offensive said, “In a relentless and ferocious crackdown on terrorism, gallant troops of the Nigerian Army have once again demonstrated their unyielding resolve to obliterate terrorist enclaves, dealing a devastating blow to their operations.
“The latest offensives, executed with precision and overwhelming firepower, sent the terrorists into a state of utter disarray, forcing them to abandon a massive cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives as they fled for their lives.
“On Saturday, 1 March 2025, troops deployed in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State launched a ruthless and coordinated assault on a well-fortified terrorist stronghold following credible intelligence that insurgents were regrouping to unleash havoc on villages around Fallujah and its environs.
“The ensuing fierce gun battle raged for hours as troops overpowered the terrorists, neutralizing several of them while systematically dismantling explosives laid en route their camp.
“In the aftermath of the onslaught, troops recovered an astonishing cache of deadly weapons, including 11 Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) bombs 760 rounds of 7.62mm linked ammunition, 220 rounds of 12.7mm linked ammunition, one AK-47 rifle and 440 rounds of 7.62mm by 54mm ammunition.
“The troops also conducted a thorough clearance operation in Unguwan Abdullahi, a terrorist-infested settlement, where they annihilated all terrorist life-support structures and unearthed stockpiles of food items buried underground, depriving the terrorists of crucial sustenance.
“As troops advanced ahead of Garin Fallujah, they engaged the terrorists in a blistering firefight, forcing them into a chaotic retreat.
“In the process, a notorious terrorist commander, Abba Alai (Amirul Khahid of Alafa) a high-value target who had long been on security watchlists, was neutralized.
“Weapons recovered in the operation are one AK-47 rifle, one AK-47 rifle magazine, 23 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one radio set, a DSHK heavy machine gun barrel, one motorcycle and assorted medical supplies
“The troops further cleared Ukuba Forest capturing alarming assortment of heavy weaponry and military-grade equipment.
“These include 2 General-Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), Mowag armored tank engine, Heavy-duty vehicle engine block with components, one QJC W85 anti-aircraft gun, 3 light machine guns, One M60 machine gun, 2 RPG launcher tubes, one QJC cradle one HK21 machine gun, one G3 rifle magazine, a fabricated 60mm mortar tube and 3 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) cylinders.
“In a separate operation troops strategically positioned in Gwoza Local Government Area as part of a blocking force to prevent insurgents from escaping Sambisa Forest delivered yet another crushing blow on the terrorists.
“The coordinated offensive in Gobara village saw the insurgents abandon their weapons and fled in panic.
“A meticulous search of the area led to the discovery of 57 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition, 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, three AK-47 rifle magazines, a locally fabricated dane gun, two prototype firearms suspected to be used for terrorists’ training.
“In a heartwarming development, troops also rescued an elderly woman who had been held hostage by the terrorists for 10 years.
“Meanwhile, acting on credible intelligence, troops in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno state stormed a notorious kidnappers’ hideout in Shirkaki village, where they apprehended a prime suspect who had long been on the security watchlist.
“The swift and precise operation led to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, two AK-47 rifle magazines, one pump-action shotgun, four rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and six cartridges.
“In Katsina State, at Unguwan Baki village, Faskari Local Government Area, terrorists attempting an attack were met with superior firepower, forcing them to flee into the forest, abandoning their motorcycles.
“Also, in a rare but telling development, a high-ranking terrorist commander in Jibia local government area of Katsina State voluntarily surrendered to troops, handing over two AK-47 rifles.
“He also freed 10 captives, including seven women and three children, signaling his decision to abandon a life of terror and embrace peace.
“In Zamfara State, troops engaged another group of terrorists, neutralizing one while the rest scattered in confusion, leaving behind two motorcycles.
“Troops deployed to Niger State equally engaged terrorists in a pitched battle, compelling them to flee into the dense forests of Dakwala and Chikuba.
“Troops subsequently launched a sweeping clearance operation, recovering 36 abandoned motorcycles and demolishing all terrorist hideouts in the area.
“In Baruten Local government Area of Kwara State, troops stormed a known kidnappers’ enclave in Karunji village, forcing the criminals to flee in terror on sighting the advancing troops, leaving their captives behind.
“The successful rescue operation led to the recovery of a locally made pistol, 6 Dane guns and 3 motorcycles.
“Meanwhile, in a significant counterterrorism breakthrough, troops deployed to Delta State captured a high-profile IPOB/ESN commander, identified as Ekene Ifeanyi, in his hideout within Issele Asagba Forest of Oshimili South Local Government Area.
“The suspect, who had been on the security watchlist, was a key figure in establishing IPOB/ESN terrorist cells in Delta State. During interrogation, he confessed to being a top IPOB operative.
“The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede while commending the troops’ resilience, has reiterated his resolve to make their welfare a priority, adding that they deserve the best for their selfless service.
“He also affirmed that the Nigerian Army remains unyielding in its resolve to eradicate terrorism and criminality across the nation.
“With unwavering commitment, unmatched firepower and relentless pursuit, troops will continue to hunt down remnants of the nation’s adversaries, ensuring that peace and stability prevail across the country.”
News
Monarch criticises ‘King of Street’ title conferred on Portable by another Monarch
Monarch criticises ‘King of Street’ title conferred on Portable by another Monarch
Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, the Eselu of Iselu, has expressed his extreme dissatisfaction of the contentious awarding of the “King of Street” chieftaincy title to musician Habeeb Olalomi Okikiola, popularly known as “Portable,” by Oba Abdulfatai Akamo, the Olu of Itori.
Oba Akinyemi wrote in an open letter, signed by the king himself, that the title was foreign to all Yorubaland palaces and that it should be reversed to avoid any possible disturbances.
He stated that the title should have been confined to the local jurisdiction of Itori, suggesting it be named “King of Itori Street” rather than the broad and ambiguous “King of Street.”
Oba Akinyemi further criticized the decision, particularly given that Portable is currently facing trial in Ogun State High Court for alleged assault on state government officials. He argued that the title was conferred without proper consideration and at a time when the singer is embroiled in legal controversies.
The letter concluded by emphasising that the “King of Street” title, which was bestowed upon Portable during Oba Akamo’s 21st Coronation Anniversary, is entirely unknown in Yoruba royal traditions, branding it as not only illegal but also a potential catalyst for chaos if not immediately rescinded.
” Using the title “King of Street” can be interpreted as the King of all Streets in the State. This is unacceptable. Olu Itori ought to have limited the title to his domain. Kabiyesi ought to have titled it “King of Itori Street” and the musician would know that his title is only confined to Itori Kingdom.
“All streets in Ogun State have their Kings and they know how they choose them, so this generalization of the title Street should be reversed to prevent any problems in the State and beyond.
“Apart from the wrong title given to Portable, His Royal Majesty’s decision to install the musician as a Chief was not well thought out because of the unruly and questionable behaviour of the singer who is currently facing a trial in a competent court in Ogun State. Giving him a chieftaincy title is like encouraging him to wreak more havoc. An effort that will make the musician live a better life is what is necessary.
“In fact, the unruly self-made kings in the fuji industry have caused lots of divisions among themselves which is entirely different from the love and good legacy the pioneers left behind. Portable is one of the self-made kings who need to refine their lives.
“My advice, once again, is that His Royal Majesty Oba Abdulfatai Okikiola Akamo, Olu Itori should revoke the title given to the controversial musician and advocate for a rebranding of the musician so that he can abandon his shenanigans and reckless lifestyle.
“Rebranding will make the musician turn a new leaf and go higher in his musical career. The title does not belong to us as Monarchs, so revoking it will remove the stigmatization that the title has been having on the Traditional Institution.
“In conclusion, I want to use this opportunity to draw the attention of the Chairman of Ogun State Council of Obas and Chiefs, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland to the untraditional and illegal installation done by Olu Itori.
“Chairman sir, may your years on the throne be very long. Kindly use your revered office to request Olu Itori to correct the anomaly he has created, as this effort will remove any blemish that the controversial installation has had on our respected Institution”.