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Nigerians have reacted to the non-payment of arrears of the defunct NITEL/MTEL pensioners for the period of 83months, saying majority of the pensioners have died in the process of getting their withhold arrears.
According many NITEL/MTEL pensioners who spoke with the StarTrend Int’l magazine & online – www.startrendinternational.com and wish to remain anonymous, many pensioners have gave up the ghost in the process of hoping that their money will be paid.
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) is responsible for the pension administration of the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) involving the Civil Service Pension Department, the Police Pension Office and the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO).
Some Nigerians also pour their hearts out to the aged and sickly NITEL/MTEL pensioners who are being owed as much as 83months pension arrears, despite continuous demand for their rights.
According to some tweets culled by StarTrend, a Nigerians twitted that it’s sad to note that the government is owning the aged and sickly 83months pension arrears.
The Statement reads: “Though the PTAD system is good, well set up by the government, but it’s sad to note that the government owns the aged and sickly 83months pension arrears. PTAD needs to improve on the payment services.
“That the govt., owes 83 months. “It means lots, because many have died on daily basis without any response from PTAD and the government. And some of these pensioners, only collecting meagre amount died on daily basis because they cannot take care of their medical bills.”
Another twitted, “Because of corruption which is the order of the day, somebody who have served his country for so length of years are no longer important to the government they served. Its aching and annoying.
“If those incharge believe that they would also retire one day and expecting to collect their pension without delay, the best thing is to pay these aged and sicky pensioners their outstanding arrears, immediately.
“It s also appauling to note that majority of these pensioners collect a token as little as N15,000 – N20,000 monthly, which according to them is nothing to leave on, that’s why most of them passed on.”
An aged pentioner said, “Our conditions are so pathetic that the public and the government should look into the NITEL/MTEL pensioners’ problems. Do you know their even owing areas on increments on the new wage?
“The so-called PTAD body should be in position to carry the pensioners along as we don’t know what’s happening there. And our so-called Union too are handicap; the only news you hear from them is when the monthly payment comes up that’s when you will see everybody jubilating as if the stipend will last more than 3 – 5 days.
“And the Executive Secretary of PTAD in a recent interview on Channels/NTA2 TV said she doesn’t want to hear anything concerning any arrears before December 2020, but alas, we have not had anything from her till date.
“Mr Anthony Alakija twitted, “there are thousands of pensioners that need their owed arrears for their wellbeing. Methinks PTAD does not need to wait for the demise of these people before paying them their arrears. For God’s sake lat someone at the top listen and help these people.
Diwarki also twitted, “We wish to draw the attention of the Senate President to the fact that despite this arrears is being captured in the 2020 budget PTAD is yet to release the 83 months pension arrears to NITEL/MTEL retirees, while other companies like NICON, Nigerian Airways etc have been paid since”.
He advised that, “If PTAD is saying the NITEL/MTEL bill is very high to pay, let them pay in two or three instalments together with the monthly payment. If this is done, within the first quarter of 2021 every pensioner must have been settled, rather than giving us stories upon stories.”
The pensioners say the executive of their union has earlier agreed to the PTAD proposition to pay the arrears in instalments. The PTAD had agreed to pay five years at once and spread the remaining arrears over monthly payments. But PTAD has since been giving excuses of none-availability of funds.
