Laments deaths, plights of members Faults state’s contributory pension scheme By Hassan Ibrahim Last month, Governor Nasiru el-Rufa’ I ...
Laments deaths, plights of members
Faults state’s contributory pension scheme
By Hassan Ibrahim
Last month, Governor Nasiru el-Rufa’ I of Kaduna State, shocked pensioners in the state among others, when he announced an N30, 000 monthly pension for state pensioners during a live Radio chat with the pensioners.
Though the payment has not commenced, before the announcement, the state pensioners were earning between N3.500 and N7, 500 monthly, Secretary of the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Alhassan Musa, told Pension and You.
While thanking the Governor for the increase which he said, would enhance the welfare of their members, Musa said “We expected it will commence in February, we got in touch with the Government House, they were telling us that the State Executive Council, SEC, did not discuss that issue.
But we are expecting it to be effective by the end of March 2020. Equally, the public and private sectors are also part of us because there are some companies whose former staff or retirees are on pension, especially banks.
For the government anybody retired within the state government, Local Government and Federal Government, such a person is part of us.
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But let me say any policy introduced by the government will face challenges due to lack of awareness.”
He recalled that on February 29, 2017, when the first Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, was paid to some former staff of the Kaduna State Government, they wrote a letter to the Governor, intimating him on the importance of organizing awareness campaign on how the CPS, works.
Problems of CPS
“If people are not aware of it, definitely they will have a misconception about it. So we wrote that letter.
Though with the new Executive Secretary of the Pension Bureau, there has been an awareness campaign going round.
Even last week we went to Jaba, we proposed to go to Zaria, as well. Definitely, we are going to other Local Government Areas in the state.
So, in the private sector, some of those in the CPS is facing challenges because some of their money were not remitted.
So, they may likely have problems. For example, those under the old pension scheme, there are some who will have problems because some amounts were deducted from their salaries, but when they retired, instead of their money to be refunded, the money was kept in the Ministry of Finance.
“Now, we have more than 8000 persons affected. Their money is still with the Ministry of Finance. they are not yet paid.
We went to see the Accountant General and the Commissioner of Finance, we have discussed these issues expecting them to pay those affected persons. But up to now, honestly, they are not been paid.
Money in CBN
“Similarly, there are some ministries, especially the education department, the amount deducted under the CPS, are not remitted including the government contributions.
Today, there are a lot of cumulative, outstandings that are not yet remitted. I have asked the Executive Secretary of the Pension Bureau, to explain to me.
If I am retired today and have already spent about 30 years, CPS became effective in Kaduna State in October 2008, there are still some years that my money has not been remitted. What will happen to the money?
They told us that our money is still with CBN. Why not retrieve the money and add to our contribution? I am sure those who retired within that period would likely have problems.
Their money may not be fully remitted. So, we are expecting that by now the government must have harmonized everything to ensure our full remittances would be done at the end of this year, or latest by June next year.”
He regretted that some of their members in Chikun and Kajuru under the old pension scheme had died due to complications of health after retirement.
Musa “Definitely there are those under the new pension scheme who lost their jobs and were not given their benefits.
It is unfortunate and some of their children are now out of good schools, and to compound, the issue, their state of health is very disturbing.
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The problem we are having with this government is that we have been writing letters just to have an audience with the governor, we have written about seven letters, just to have an audience with Governor Nasiru el-Rufa’i, to tell him our plights, to no avail.
we are your citizens, listen to us, listen to our case, our yearnings and callings. Honestly, this is disturbing us.
We are calling on the governor to please, come to the aid of Pensioners. See us so that we can be able to tell you what is disturbing us, what is happening especially in Kaduna State.
“When the Pensioners from the 19 Northern states wanted to see Governor el- Rufai, our letter was referred to the Head of Service in January.
Today we are in March, up to now we have not got an audience with the Governor, We appreciate the increase in pension he has tried but please we want to see him.”
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