We are dying! – Soar narrative of Pensioners’ ordeal

By Idibia Gabriel, Kaduna

Life for many pensioners in Nigeria has largely been full of disappointments. Struggles and worries which come from delays and botrlnecks of accessing their gratuities and pension entitlements have seen many falling into unsavoury conditons. Plights of elder citizens struggling to get their entitlements have  occasioned narratives of illnesses and untimely death.

This narration is the lamentation of a 63-year old pensioner, who worked with the Kaduna Polytechnic (Kadpoly), Mr. Bala A. Zakka. He made some startling revelation on a number of vexing issues, including alleged 16 years unpaid arrears and balance of their gratuities.

Zakka, in an interview with our Kaduna correspondent also lamented that out of about 700 of them that retired from Kaduna Polytechnic under the reform pension, many have died awaiting in vain for the arrears and balance of their gratuities. He also alleged that the Polytechnic management collected cheques containing certain money for arrears of 24 months, but only paid them 15 months, and nothing is heard of the remaining balance of the nine months till date.

According to him, their colleagues in other Federal Government agencies, including National Eye Centre, collected same amount, and paid out all to the affected pensioners: Excerpts:

Tell us who are you, where you worked, your service years and your complaints?

My name is Bala O. Zakka. I’m 63-yrs-old. I started working in Kaduna Polytechnic 29th November, 1979 to April 2008. I had my last salary in May 2008. I retired in April 2008, under the new pension reform, earning our salaries on counts.

We earn salary on counts but we’re paid our gratuity on Grade Level (GL) instead of the counts. When they came for screening in 2011 with Pension Transition Arrangement and Directorate  (PTAD), the Federal government agency handling payment of the pension, they screened us and confirmed in the form of data that the new salary structure is on counts and promised that they’re going to reflect it and pay us the differences of the gratuity.

We waited but nothing came and they came again and conducted another fresh last screening and said we should wait for the arrears, that they’ll pay us our actual differences and implement the counts on our pension. Up till that time and now, the implementation did not take place; they’ve not paid us the differences.

What are the differences?

The differences that i saw in one of the pension office in gazette was about over N400,000. Now, they said we should wait for the payment, that the differences will reflect, but till now nothing has been done. Up till December 2017, when the minister announced that our arrears will be paid and that there’s money for that, in the PTAD, and that everybody will be cleared even within that December,  nothing has happened till now.  They shifted it to July 2022 to pay, and they said the reason was because the minister re-scheduled it, but till now nothing has been heard again.

On the counts, can you expatiate? 

As someone who retired on counts 8.15, I’m supposed to be collecting N66,000, monthly, as the way they give the data. But they slashed it to N56,000. There was 30per cent rise to N61,000. The increase is just N6,000, that’s what I’m earning now, N61,000.  This affected all the categories of my colleagues. So, I’m pleading with them to do something for us. We’re stranded. And many of us have lost their lives. We’re still waiting and crying to see that they give us something.

Are you aware of any pensioner(s)  who has been paid?

The Immigration, the Warders engaged lawyers at that time, and they were able to pay them their entitlements, with maybe only 6 months remaining.

At the last meeting they had with the national union comprising of army civilian, precisely on 28th – 29th July, this year, they promised to pay us. But  there was disagreement between them because PTAD said they want to split the payment to three times. But the union said since it is not every pensioner that is affected, it should be paid at once. Since then, we didn’t hear anything again.

How about your usual  monthly pension?

Our usual monthly pension on GL has been running uninterrupted, and we are commending them for that. We’re talking about the arrears and balance of our gratuity. They don’t delay army’s own payment because it is a separate account, but only the civilians are suffering the delay.

You also talked about certain amount of money sent to the Polytechnic authority as arrears, can you explain?

Again, in addition to that, there was certain amount of money sent to our management as arrears around December 2019, about 24 months arrears cheque. The management paid 15 months leaving nine months. Till date, we’ve not seen anything again.

The arrears and balance of gratuity does not affect civilians who retired on their own, only we the reform staff. For instance, while I collected gratuity of  N2.3 million – N2.75 million, my colleagues before then collected N6 – N7 million, as gratuity.

How many of the retirees are affected or victims of this shortfall?

Well, the affected numbers of retired staff is 700 from Kadpoly but many have died awaiting the arrears of gratuity and left their family and loved ones suffering.

What do you want to say to the government?

I and my colleagues are appealing to the Federal Government to help and come to our aide. Many of us are dying. No security for farming now. To see the daily bread now is hard. Even though they’ve been trying in monthly payment, let them try more to assist us because it’ll help us to reduce the tension on us because of our responsibilities.

“Affected army representatives reluctantly ate heavy banquet lunch provided for them during the last meeting they had with PTAD on ground that they were not there for such balance diet when their colleagues are suffering. And they were not going to be there for them continuously to eat with their other retired pensioners. All they said they want is their money not eating food there,” Zakka stated.

Contacted, PTAD office in Kaduna staff said the matter is beyond their schedule and directed our correspondent to contact their headquarters in Abuja.

They, however, acknowledged notice of “I’m Alive Verification” being conducted on affected Kaduna Polytechnic pensioners in the State for N200.00 cost of data. Also in the same vain, these allegations were corroborated by the Polytechnic pensioners executive officials when contacted during investigation.