Pensioners of the defunct National Electric Power Authority/ Power Holding Company of Nigeria (NEPA/PHCN) on Wednesday morning staged a street protest in Benin City to demand payment of their benefit of over N25bn.
The protesters said they took to the street because they have exhausted their patience in having talks with officials of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, (PTAD).
They alleged that dead pensioners were being paid while those alive are not getting anything.
Spokesman for the protesters, Vice Chairman, South-South National Union of Pensioners in the Electricity Sector, Comrade Monday Adodo, said the protest was a call to President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue them from suffering.
Comrade Adodo gave the breakdown of the N25bn pension benefit to include harmonisation arrears, N14, 306,479, 450.49k, monetisation arrears, N7, 072, 029, 6074.96k and year 2000 retiree/retirement benefit which amounted to N3, 037,607,883.08k.
Adodo stated that the pension benefit was with the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) who was in charge of payment of their pension and benefit until it was tranferred to PTAD for settlement.
He said a letter was sent in 2017 to the immediate past Executive Secretary of PTAD, Barr. Sharon Ikeazor for necessary action but no payment has been made since then.
Adodo said Ikeazor promised that all pensioners would be at the end of the verification exercise.
His words, “Now that the verification is completed we are yet to see any change. Instead of positive result, some pensioners’ names are being removed from the payroll.
“Mr. President, as much as we are aware of your disposition and concern for pensioners’ welfare nationwide, we strongly appeal to you to also look at that of NEPA/PHCN pensioners.”
An official of PTAD who addressed the pensioners, Mr. Cashmir Audu, declined comment but told the pensioners’ executive to meet him in the office.
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