It is increasingly evident that some retirees in Nigeria are becoming endangered species with no future after years of service to the nation as they are left to wallow in poverty.

The ?I-don?t-care? attitude of some leaders is also scaring those in service, making them lose the hope that there is life after retirement.

Indeed, it has been a way of life for retirees, especially those who serve at the state and in some sectors of the federal government to wait for ages before getting their benefit.

This is notwithstanding the fact that the amount came pretty late and the value decimated by overdue loans taken by the beneficiaries to procure basic things. In most cases, the amount paid as gratuity and pension is too negligible to make any difference in the life of the retiree.

The federal government?s decision to enact the Pension Reform Act 2004 gave a ray of hope to many civil servants that the days of such long delays would be over. However, this optimism appears to have been quickly lost as many states have failed to key in, and instead, they prefer to continue with the old system.

The optimism of some federal government workers was also punctured as they quickly realised that they would be getting paltry sums as pension while they would only be allowed to access 50 per cent of their contributions in lump sum as gratuity.

Worst still, the federal government has been reneging to pay accrued pensions for officers who were presumed to have retired by the date the Pension Act came into effect in 2004.

Recently, the situation was highlighted when retired federal workers under the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Contributory Pension Scheme Sector staged a peaceful protest at the headquarters of Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja to demand the payment of the more than 21 months backlog of the money.

The chairman of the union, Comrade Sylvester Nuatawu, said retirees under the scheme ?have become endangered species, highly famished, dehumanised and subjected to untold hardship in the Nigerian society.?

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, admitted that government owes more than N80 billion in unpaid pension arrears. He promised to pay for some months while planning on how to clear the backlog.

The ministry was said to have kept its promise as there are reports that it has paid the amounts due for between March 2023 and September 2023.

Apparently, this means that the government owes more than one year?s backlog and thousands of retirees have to wait longer for their benefits, which they do not know when they will be paid.

We at the Daily Trust believe that government must show more empathy to the plight of this group of people who have given their best to the nation yet appear to be treated with disdain. This is more pertinent in view of the present economic situation Nigerians are facing.

Considering their age, the pensioners are more vulnerable to diseases and frequently buy expensive drugs and medicaments. To make matters worse, there is no safety net specifically designed for this group of people.

It is necessary to make adequate arrangements for our retirees if the nation wants commitment to service delivery expected from our civil servants.

What obtains now would only entrench more corruption in the country as many civil servants will be tempted to enrich themselves illegally with the excuse of securing their future. The seeming contempt over the plight of our retirees will not also inspire young Nigerians to take up public service appointments since it will not secure their future.

It is our belief that if Nigeria is serious about development and bringing honour to labour, we must stop neglecting the rights of the pensioners who laboured for the country at their prime only to be left in poverty and helplessness by a nation they served. This happens even when those who served for far less time and commitment in various political offices go home with fat retirement packages at the end of their tenure.

Daily Trust calls for an immediate change of attitude, especially by the federal government, which should ensure that all those who retired from its service are fully paid their entitlement immediately. We must realise that these people are not looking for charity but their hard-earned entitlements at a time when they need such most.

The least Nigeria can offer them is to pay them to ensure that they live dignified lives, which they look forward to but unfortunately eluding them. (Daily Trust)

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