13th April, 2012
President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the payment of pension arrears to all pensioners in the country.
Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, announced this in Abuja on Thursday while briefing newsmen.
He added that the president also instructed that all pensioners must be paid their entitlements and that next of kin of deceased pensioners must be paid death benefits of their relations.
“The Jonathan transformation agenda had delivered on pension and that is something I can tell you anytime.”
The chairman also said that the team had not been disbanded, adding that it had developed E-Pension for pensioners.
“As far as we are concerned, this is a creation of the executive; so the president has not winded up pension reform task team.
“Any time the president winds it up; you would be the first to know.
“So we are still there and I want to appeal to pensioners who have been so worried that we have built an institution here.” He said the team was able to intercept some individuals who had been using its name to defraud pensioners.
Maina said the people collected as much as N10, 000 from the pensioners on the pretence that they would help them to increase their pensions.
“So, I want to appeal to the pensioners that if they have any problem, they can send an e-mail or go through executives of state unions of pensioners. “Please do not send money to anybody, pension service is free of charge, you have worked for this country and you need to be taken care of.”