Don’t Pay for Pension Processing, Delta Cautions Retirees

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Chairman, Delta State Bureau for Pension, Sir Edwin Ogidi-Ggbegbaje, has stated that the pension system is often in a flux such that the changes that occur around pension matters also prompt necessary response from the pension managers in order to render effective and satisfactory services to retirees at every point in time.

He observed that such dynamics as sudden increment in basic salaries, like the National Minimum Wage, and frequent retirements of individual workers often lead to a delicate situation whereby the pension managers are constantly under pressure to strike a balance between competing demands or various pension cases requiring equal attention simultaneously.

He noted that certain critical demands of retirees under the contributory pension scheme have made the job of the Delta State Bureau for Pension even more complex and demanding.

The state pension chairman, who made the remarks while playing host to members of the Asaba Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at his office in Asaba on Monday, noted that some retirees attempting to bend the procedural guidelines or cut corners have sometimes treated another aspect of the challenge.

Specifically, he warned retirees from the State Public Service to refrain from bribing anyone for processing of their pension benefits as the bureau abhors such practice.

Ogidi-Ggbegbaje said that the Bureau has ensured that Delta State retirees would not have to spend years before getting their rightful pension and retirement benefits.

According to him, it was absurd for anyone to pay money to any official for the purpose of speedy processing of their pension benefits, warning that the Bureau would deal ruthlessly with anyone caught in the act.

However, he said that there could be baseless allegation of fraud against bureau officials, advising journalists to always endeavour to investigate and verify the authenticity or otherwise of such allegations, in order to establish that facts before going to press with it.

Ogidi-Gbegbaje, who stressed that traditional or mainstream media had an obligation to continue to sustain the society’s confidence in media reports due to the incalculable damage done by most social media, said, “Nobody is expected to pay a dime to access his pension benefits in the state.

“Anybody who pays money to anyone, for the purpose of having his or her benefits processed is acting on his own. Such person does not have the instruction of the bureau to do so.”

He tasked journalists to ensure balanced reportage and to check the excesses of quacks on the social media.

He cautioned journalists against character assassination, adding that reputation took years to build and should not be damaged in a jiffy by quacks on the social media.

In his contribution, Secretary to the Bureau, Mr. Lawson Efenudu, lauded the leadership role of the Bureau Chairman, Ogidigbe-Gbaje, which he said has ushered in a new lease of life and renewed confidence in the scheme.

He said that the Bureau was committed to ensuring prompt payment of the retirees’ benefits both to the new and old pension scheme pensioners, which run side-by-side in the state.

He commended the immediate past governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, for drastically reducing the pension liabilities and appreciated his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, also for his commitment towards alleviating the plight of pensioners and retirees in the state.

Earlier, the Chairman, Asaba Correspondents Chapel, Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye, said that the visit was both to congratulate the Bureau Chairman on his appointment and to extend a hand of fellowship for progressive partnership.

Olannye said: “Primarily, we are here to congratulate you on your appointment and we urge you to deploy that determination and zeal that we have known you for into ensuring prompt payment of the retirement benefits and pension to retirees of the state workforce.

“We have observed with nostalgia the pains retirees go through in the country, Delta not exempted, while trying to access their pension. More worrisome is that many have died without accessing their benefits due to delay occasioned by bureaucracy in government.

“Nevertheless, we are not unmindful of the commitment of His Excellency, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who on assuming office last year immediately extended his magnanimity by releasing certain amount, running into billions of naira, to ensure the payment of pension arrears to state and local government workers.

“We also have no doubt that in line with the Governor’s M.O.R.E Agenda, and with you, Sir Edwin Ogidigbegbaje on the saddle as the Chairman, State Bureau for Pension, state workers are in for a fair and equitable deal as retirees of the state government would have no cause to worry.

“While we congratulate you on your new but demanding appointment, we urge you to remain committed to delivering the dividends of democracy in order to put smiles on the faces of state retirees to enable them live longer by ensuring prompt payment of their retirement benefits and pension.

“It has, therefore, become necessary to partner with you to further deepen the administration’s M.O.R.E Agenda geared towards addressing the old age issues relating to pension and retirees challenge in the state.