Civil service retirees call for reinstatement of pension task force

[PeoplesDaily]

By Stanley Onyekwere

Some retired federal civil servants under the aegis of Civil Service Retirees Association has called on the federal government to reinstate the disbanded Presidential Task force, so as to enable it complete its primary mandate of easing the plights of pensioners in the country.

The association which comprises of about 65,000 members from military, paramilitary, extra ministerial departments and agencies, including State Development officers (SDO) under the monetization dispensation, also accused the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) of hijacking the team.

They argued that since the Abdulrasheed Maina- task Team was inaugurated in 2010, they have been paying monthly pension duly up to October 2012 when it was allegedly hijacked by the HCSF.

Chairman of the association, Emmanuel Omoyemi, who made the position of the retirees known yesterday, during a press briefing, in Abuja, said since then the wheel was reversed, pensions are money no longer paid at as when due.

According to the chairman, investigation have revealed that 80 % of those that have received their pensions only got less of their money.

Recalling a case, he said, a retiree who is supposed to receive about N140,000 was paid only N5,000.00.

He said that directive and action of the Head of service, demanding that pensioners obtain financial statements from their banks cannot help them; because "it is what one deposits with the bank that the bank would download for you."

"I want to appeal to Mr. President as a matter of urgency look into the plights of pensioners in the country, with a view to ameliorating the sad tale of the retired senior citizens, as we are dying on a daily basis, because we are at the disadvantaged corner of the economy of this country," he said.

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