BY BENSON OKOBI-ALLANAH
MANY concerned Nigerians have been lamenting over the plight of our retirees mostly at the state level where many are subjected to the irritating issue of delayed gratuity and monthly stipend.
Those that are lucky to have wriggled out of the problematic issue of delayed payment of gratuity, go further to start facing the monthly delayed payment of their stipends, sometimes running into months or even a year before being paid.
Is it then a crime to retire? Many, including this interviewee ask the million dollar question.
In this encounter with Comr. Ezeana Enwelim Sunday, an elder statesman, and a retired State Director of National Population Commission (NPC) in Delta State, also a writer, author, ex-footballer that played for Academicals Football Club of Bendel, Asaba Textile Mills Football Club of Asaba, Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin, University of Lagos FC, he asked the pertinent question on why governments at the state level find it difficult to pay their pensioners in spite of the fact they get allocations from the federal government.
Comr. Ezeana Enwelim Sunday who in his secondary school days atSt. Anthony’s College, Ubulu-uku, a Sports Prefect, and in his Higher School Certificate (HSC) days at St. Patrick’s College, Asaba, best footballer and Javelin Thrower, while commending the federal government for the prompt payment of gratuities and stipends to its workers, also advised would-be- retirees not to entertain fear of going into retirement because of the various rigours involved in collecting what is due them as retirees and implored state governments in the habit of owing their retirees to have a positive change of attitude in attending to these retirees as elder statesmen and senior citizens, among other advices.
He commended the federal government for paying retirees as at when due, saying there is no unnecessary delays of their stipends and urged the federal government to keep the noble flag flying and not to relent in their efforts.
He also thanked the financial institutions handling the payments of pensioners like ITBC, Lead-way Insurance, NICON, Trustfund and others.
‘At the state level, we are not all happy over the ways things are happening in the state; but governments at the state level keep complaining they don’t have money. The truth is that their claim is not right, clear; does it mean the federal government is not allocating money to the states through the process of derivation and National interest? Could it be the states are overspending and thereby short of the money to pay their pensioners? He asked.
Continuing, he wonders if the state governments are spending the contributions by pensioners through the Contributory Pension Scheme in advance for the retirement. If not, he again ponders why states are not able to pay pensioners as at when due.
The former Director says the worries people have over the state retirees, apart from not being paid are so many, one of them being unable to treat themselves as they have no money to do so. Others, he says, are having no money to finance their children’s school fees in higher institutions, and death claiming most of them, with some of the wives running away from them.
He condemns the idea of most of these pensioners looking tattered after serving the public.
While saying screening is an official duty necessary before anyone could be cleared, indemnified such a person, he said ‘screening is not actually a bad thing as it is a way of knowing who is qualified to receive the money. But yet, it it has to be a sort of systematic approach and with a lot of humour such as emotional approach, should be one that the very old should not be made to be struggling along with the younger retirees, meaning that on such day of screening, canopies and rubber chairs should be provided for the older ones while the youthful ones can still stand around, yet this is hardly observed.’ He pointed out.
He notes that it is the reason why some old ones are seen collapsing, falling on their faces, suffocating because of the nature of screening, which most times are not friendly. Such screening, he said, should be made less rigorous.
Suggesting the way forward, Ezeana said money meant for payment of pensioners should not be tempered with; screening, he advised, should not be at all times. It could be ones in a year or at worst ones in six months.
He again said authorities concerned should be sincere with updating of the files of retirees to enable them know who is alive or actually dead.
‘By the time you are paying somebody who is dead, there will be no money to pay those that are living.’
He noted that the reason why they were interested in paying dead people was because through that means, they gained a lot which in the actual sense, is not good in the sight of the Lord.
For those about to retire, he advised them not to entertain fear about the practical life because retirement is a continuous exercise both for those already working and those who had just been given employment.
He says wages and salaries given to workers while they are in service are nothing to write home about in relation to the present day economy where goods and services become too expensive making reference to his book ‘Economic Depression (Otanisi) In Nigeria reviewed in The POINTER of Friday, March 25, 2022.
He says what the book is trying to say is that the economy of Nigeria is in bad shape , and that the redemption of the economy is not in sight, and the leadership of the country is doing nothing about it.
He therefore advised future retirees not to fear, but instead, implore them to join cooperatives and do some su-sutoo to enable them build their houses, do businesses and train their children, as depending on salaries alone is not the best.
Ezeana pointed out that the issue of making progress on a slender salary is strictly cutting one’s coat according to his size, and avoiding extravagant life style and said they should always pay back monies borrowed from cooperatives as at when due..
At screening venues for most of these retirees are pictures that depict negligence, poverty, hunger, regret and fear, especially for those working and hoping to retire someday and those dancing at the precinct and edge of the retirement circle.
Now, those about retiring are held in awe of being retired. Retirement before, calls for celebration at least for being able to serve your father land without blemish and your life being sustained all through your service year; butt now, those feelings hold another meaning for the retirees –retiring to face hardship instead of rest. God forbid it should continue like this. The rules that detect these hardships are not cast on stone, they are still amenable. Let us be considerate for others for once because one day we shall face the same condition for no one is positioned to remain in power forever.
