Many pensioners in the Federal Capital Territory have voiced their frustration over the prolonged delay in receiving their pension arrears.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that President Bola Tinubu had earlier approved the N758 billion Treasury Bond proposed by the Federal Executive Council in February for the settlement of pension arrears.
However, it was not until July 22 that the National Assembly approved its implementation.
The bond is intended to clear longstanding government liabilities owed to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, spanning several decades.
The pensioners, while expressing their distress over the hardships they face, also called for the immediate implementation of the N758 billion Treasury bond. They stressed that doing so would help increase their monthly pensions to reflect the current economic realities.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Hajiya Amina Lawal noted that even some active workers struggle to afford three meals a day, making it even more difficult for pensioners.
“We were happy after the announcement by the president that we are going to be paid, but we did not know we would have to wait this long for processing.
“Our hopes were raised and some have died while waiting for the money to be paid.
“We are begging for the immediate implementation, we are too old to be on the streets,” she said.
Another pensioner, George Ose, said they were going through a lot, revealing that some pensioners have lost their lives in the struggle.
“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.
“After working hard, if I knew I would suffer like this, I would not have given them the services I gave them,” he said.
Joy Adewale, who retired with her husband in 2016, said she had been struggling with life.
“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 the government demolished the shop.
“Now this amount cannot even feed my family and I, to say the least as well as our medical bills and other things.
“Some of us couldn’t cope with this hardship. Even my neighbour who retired two years ago died two months ago. People look down on us because we are retirees,” she said.
Adewale 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 turned 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.
Nkiru Offor, who retired in 2019, said her entitlements were paid in 2021 and the payment had been regular, but there was a need to increase it.
“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 N50,000.
