BY ISIOMA OKEREKE
THE Chairman of the Bureau for State Pensions, Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje has expressed dissatisfaction over the inability of Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs,’ to pay pensioners as and at when due.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje said this recently when he met with all PFAs in Asaba, at the Felix Ibru Secretariat Conference Hall.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje expressed how disappointed he was when some retirees complained on how they were being treated by PFAs, arising from delay in payments, even after they had been issued their pension certificates, refusal to transfer them to other PFAs and general lack of cooperation from the Pension Administrators. He aver red that the Pension Administrators are supposed to ease the tension of pensioners by being friendly and not to be seen to be compounding their plight.
He said, “we need to find a way to ease the burden, difficulties and challenges our pensioners are going through and the Bureau expects maximum cooperation from all PFAs to make the work easy and put smiles on the faces of Delta State Pensioners.”
According to him, PFAs should find solutions to the recurring issues of Annuity, delay in payments, pin opening, etc, noting that pensioners, after collecting their certificate from the Bureau, it takes another two or more months for the PFAs to release their money, a situation he described as unhealthy for the system.
He said that Pension Administrators should be helpful to retirees, considering the fact that they are old and no longer as strong as before. He added that it is painful for one to serve his state for many years and still find it difficult to enjoy their gratuity after payment certificate has been issued.
He therefore instructed all PFAs in Asaba to communicate with others outside Asaba to make the payment easy for the pensioners and make life easy for them.
In his words, “I expect all PFA’s to work more diligently, be factual and truthful. Let us give our retirees the fact of the matter. Do not promise them what will never come.”
