FG Retirees Protest 14 Months Unpaid Pension
Omooba Risawe
Federal Government retirees in their hundreds on Tuesday trooped out to protest non-payment of their pension of fourteen months,said to be running to billions of naira.
The protesters comprising membership across all federal ministries,agencies and parastatals led by intermin national president,Kayode Da-Silva stormed Press Centre Iwe-Iroyin , Abeokuta carrying placards with various inscriptions to the world about their plight, non-challance of federal government towards the payment.
Some of the captions reads “14 months into retirement,no gratuity,no pension’,”We had labour let’s enjoy our old age’,”PMB pay our pension’,”Pencom: Let not labour in vain’,’Since October 2015,we have not receive kobo’,’We cry for justice. Our pension our livewire’,’We had suffered enough. This is our savings,why punishing us’
However, the group president, Kayode Da-Silva while speaking with journalists said the experience they were passing through in the last fourteen months had been harrowing, hence,need to tell the world through the media.
‘With mixed feelings of neglect and regret,we wish to let you know and through you the larger society,and more importantly President Muhammed Buhari,the harrowing experience of the senior citizens of this nation’,he said.
The pensioners lamented that,having served the nation diligently and meritoriously,in the federal public service for about 35 years are now languishing in penury because of the denial of payment of gratuity and pension,since retirement from November 2015,more than 14 months ago
‘This is contrary to the letter,intent and spirit of the most hailed contributory pension scheme,which to all intent and purposes stipulates payment within three month period after retirement. To date,neither the federak government nor the National Pension Commission has offered credible and satisfactory reasons for this protracted delay’
He declared that pensioners should not be made scapegoats for the ills and shortcomings of federal government agencies and personel,and called for state of emergency on the situation of the federal government pensioners and order immediate payment by pencom.
‘We should not be made to die before our time. Mr President sir, please save us from further agony. Save our families from hunger and deprivation’,the protesters emphasised
‘This protest should not be seen as parachial or sectional,infact it is expected to be replicated in other parts of the country by our colleagues’,
