Despite 35 years of public service, Edo State’s Contributory Pension Scheme retirees have expressed their displeasure with what they call cruel treatment.
Mr. Andrew Asemota, the chairman of the Edo State chapter of the Contributory Pension Scheme Retirees Welfare Association, led a team to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council in Benin, where he explained their complaints.
Asemota bemoaned the lack of benefits from the program, which they were forced to participate in during the previous administration. He noted that a bill exempting employees with fewer than ten years of service from the program was passed by the Adams Oshiomhole administration in 2010.
“However, when former Governor Godwin Obaseki assumed office in November 2016, workers noticed unexplained salary deductions starting in January 2017.”
“By March of that year, financial institutions began enrolling workers into the scheme without clear communication. The bill protecting workers with over ten years of service was effectively disregarded.”
“The consequences became apparent in 2022 when retirees discovered they were receiving significantly lower gratuities than expected.”
Grade 17 senior officers received less than ₦2.7 million, while grade 16 senior officers received less than ₦2.3 million. After 35 years of employment, some retirees received as little as ₦800,000 and were not eligible for any additional monthly pension payments.
According to Asemota, the situation is serious, with many retirees in financial difficulties and unable to maintain their family or pay for healthcare or basic necessities.
In order to keep more retirees from experiencing difficulty, he urged the current administration to revise the pension plan immediately. He underlined that health issues accompany aging and that many elderly face home insecurity, unpaid medical expenses, and unpaid school tuition.
Asemota cautioned that pensioners would use radio and television to spread the word about their predicament if the government did not take action.
Responding, the NUJ Edo State Chairman, Dr. Festus Alenkhe, pledged to appeal to the state government for an investigation into the scheme to determine why pensioners are receiving such meager sums.
He also urged the association to formally petition the State House of Assembly to seek a review of the system.
