Save us from untimely death, retirees beg Buhari over unpaid N4.7bn arrears

Retirees on the platform of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to save them from untimely death as they have been thrown into economic hardship and frustrations as a result of unpaid pension arrears of 10 years, totalling 4.7 billion naira.

According to the pensioners, the money is an accumulated pension and gratuities arrears of staff of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) who were retired in 2003.

Briefing journalists on the issue in Abuja on Thursday, NUP President, Barr. Ladipo Ani said the association had done all within its powers, including securing a court judgment, involving the intervention of the Presidency, Federal Ministry of Finance, as well as the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing under which the bank exists to secure the release of the money, but to no avail even when the benefit of time the bank begged for has since elapsed.

He alleged that the various ministries in separate letters had directed the FMBN, Managing Director to promptly enroll and pay off the affected retirees but there was yet to be any form of compliance.

He said, “Our issue began in 1993 when the bank was divided into two, Federal Mortgage Bank and Federal Mortgage Finance (FMF Ltd.) for operational reasons and nothing was done to clear pension arrears, particularly that of the Federal Mortgage Finance. The pensioners in FMBN were being paid monthly pittance with no regard to their pension arrears, while those of the FMF were denied payment out-rightly up till now

“In spite of all these directives from various quarters, it is highly disheartening that the MD who only pleaded for a little time to sort out things with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in a letter he personally signed together with the legal adviser, Mr. YA. Oaikhena dated 28th September, 2017 has refused to yield.

“On the strength of our letter of protest, the MD of FMBN, not even considering our age and status, has contacted the security agencies that we have threatened to kill him and to disrupt the activities of the bank, hence all the premises of FMBN is now under surveillance and some of our members are being haunted,shifting attention on legitimate demand which is now being criminalized.

“We therefore call on President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR to please consider our plight and call the Managing Director to order and save us all from untimely death,” he said.

Meanwhile, when contacted to react to the issue via a phone call, FMBN Head of Corporate Communications, Ahmed Muhammad said the bank was awaiting the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to release the money to the retirees.

(Daily Sun)