Pensioners of the defunct National Electrical Power Authority and Power Holding Company of Nigeria storm Lagos street to protest their unpaid 20 years pension.
According to Nigerian Tribune, the protesters decried their unpaid gratuity and pension arrears running into billions of naira.
The pensioners were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions, asking the Federal Government’s agency in charge, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorates to pay all their gratuity and pension arrears to enable them to take care of their challenges.
They alleged that PTAD failed to pay them despite verified pieces of evidence that the money had been released to the agency by the central authority.
NEPA is the acronym for the defunct National Electric Power Authority, while PHCN is the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.
Justifying the protest, the group’s Coordinator, Mr Oladotun Ayodeji, alleged that PTAD has failed to do the needful for the over 10,900 pensioners for the past 20 years.
According to him, the pensioners have been owed their gratuities as well as monthly pensions with other entitlements, without any commitments to pay by PTAD.
He said, ” Federal Government has released the money according to the dictates of the Appropriations Act. The Federal Government has remitted the money and sent it through PTAD.
“The arrears we are talking about covered 2017 to 2021. The arrears are 42 per cent gratuity from the year 2000; 42 monthly pensions from 2000 retirees till date; harmonization ranging from 2003 to 2013; Utility allowance, which includes electricity rebate. It was stopped abruptly in 2012 without any justification”.
He also alleged that PTAD shortchanged them in the payment of pensions for all.
Based on the law setting up PTAD as a paying agent, Ayodeji said it can neither reduce nor add to people.
He, however, appealed to the paying agent to do the needful by releasing the gratuity and pension arrears to the pensioners.
