By Aliyu DANLADI
The Niger government has released N3 billion to the pension board to settle outstanding pensions, gratuities and death benefits owed relations of retirees, according to the board’s Director-General, Alhaji Usman Muhammad.
Muhammad said on Saturday in Minna that N1.4 billion would be paid to relations of dead retirees, while N780 million would be sunk into the payment of retirement benefits.
He, however, accused the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), of frustrating the payment of entitlements to pensioners under the Contributory Pensions Scheme.
“There have been some observed delays on the part of PFAs. They are deliberately dragging the process of the payment of the refunds to beneficiaries.
“Already, the board has written to the National Pension Commission to report these delays,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the situation would soon improve so as to speed up the payment of monies due to the retired workers or relations of dead ones.
Reacting to the development, Malam Ibrahim Abubakar, a retired civil servant, commended the state government for the gesture, and urged the board to speed up the process so as to ameliorate the suffering of the retirees.
Another retiree, Hajiya Kande Ibrahim, advised workers, who are on the verge of retirement, to submit their documents to the board to ease the payment process.
“We must support the board by submitting our documents promptly to enable its officials process our benefits without any hindrance “she said.
Malam Musa Paiko, a retired messenger, commended the management of the board for introducing various reforms to ease payments of benefits to retirees.
“I am happy that I have been screened and captured. The verification process was so smooth. I am only waiting for my payment,” he said.
