“Show Me the Rule That Authorised My Removal” — Adesanya-Davies Challenges Pension Administrators

Former female presidential candidate and university professor, Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, has challenged the relevant pension and healthcare administrators over her reported removal from an SPDC/Renaissance pension-related medical benefit scheme.

Adesanya-Davies, who identified herself as a long-standing spouse beneficiary with enrolment number RTD-143637-A, described the alleged de-listing as “an attack not only on my health but on my dignity, welfare and fundamental expectation of continuity.”

The professor is demanding an explanation for the circumstances surrounding her removal and has specifically asked: “Who now uses the medical benefit scheme under my enrollee number RTD-143637-A?”

According to her, her connection to the healthcare arrangement dates back to 1991 and spans more than three decades.

“I am not a stranger to this benefit. I did not appear yesterday to demand access to a facility. I have been connected with this healthcare arrangement for decades,” she said.

Adesanya-Davies argued that the issue should not be treated as a mere administrative adjustment to a database, insisting that any decision to terminate or alter a long-standing retirement healthcare benefit must comply with the applicable rules, contractual provisions and principles of due process.

She is demanding that the pension administrators and other relevant authorities disclose who authorised her de-listing, when the decision was made, the reason for it, whether she was formally notified and whether she was given an opportunity to challenge the decision.

She also wants clarification on the current status of enrolment number RTD-143637-A and whether another person has subsequently been registered under or granted access associated with the medical benefit arrangement.

“I am not yet dead, please!” she said, stressing that the questions surrounding her medical benefit require documented answers rather than verbal explanations.

‘A MATTER OF DIGNITY’
The former presidential candidate said the dispute goes beyond access to medical treatment, describing it as a matter of dignity, fairness and the protection of established retirement benefits.

“This is about dignity, woman dignity, presidential dignity, professorial and academia dignity. It is also about fairness,” she said.

She maintained that pension and healthcare benefits should not be used as instruments in personal or domestic disputes.

“A pension benefit should not become a weapon in a domestic dispute. Healthcare should not be used as punishment. Retirement should bring security, not fear,” she said.

Adesanya-Davies called on the pension administrators, SPDC/Renaissance and relevant regulatory authorities, including the National Pension Commission (PenCom), to conduct a transparent review of the circumstances surrounding her alleged de-listing.

She also urged the authorities to preserve all electronic and documentary records relating to enrolment number RTD-143637-A, including the history of changes made to the record.

The professor said she was prepared to provide documents, medical records, correspondence and other evidence to establish her history with the scheme.

‘I WILL NOT BE SILENCED’
Adesanya-Davies said she would continue to pursue the matter through lawful and institutional channels.
“I am a Professor, a former Presidential candidate of the Republic, a Nigerian citizen and a woman who knows the value of due process. I will not be intimidated into silence,” she said.

She added that her objective was not to deny anyone a legitimate benefit but to ensure that her own established interests were not terminated without lawful authority, transparency and due process.

“Let the records speak. Let the enrolment history speak. Let the pension documents speak. Let the medical records speak. Above all, let justice and fairness and conscience speak,” she said.

She further appealed to pension authorities, regulators, civil society organisations, women’s rights advocates and the media to pay attention to the wider implications of disputes involving spouses and retirement healthcare benefits.

“Today it may be me. Tomorrow it may be another pensioner’s wife,” she said, urging authorities to ensure that retirement healthcare benefits are administered under transparent rules and that vulnerable beneficiaries are not left without medical protection as they age.