Non-Payment of Retirement Benefits & Pensions is Social Injustice Against Senior Citizens

Non-payment of retirement benefits and pensions to retirees is social injustice against senior citizens who served the nation. The former Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), who is now the Minister of State for Environment, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor, said this during a dinner with her friends held in Abuja on Wednesday.

Barrister Ikeazor said she was raised to fight social injustice and this fuelled her passion to champion the cause of pensioners while managing PTAD. Describing herself as “mama pension”, Barrister Ikeazor said she would continue to advance pension issues in the Federal Executive Council as a Minister.

The former Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) also had a luncheon yesterday in Abuja with pensioners across the country. She told the pensioners that she had delivered on her mandate in PTAD and hoped to do same in the Ministry of Environment. The National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Abel Afolabi, said pensioners in Nigeria had never had it good as under Ikeazor in PTAD.

Afolabi said pension payment was regular and pensioners’ verification done humanely under her leadership. He praised the new Minister for leaving a legacy in PTAD by clearing backlog of unpaid pensions, including the 33% pension arrears. He said when the former PTAD boss assumed office, she advised her not to trust anybody and he expressed satisfaction that she heed to the advice and ended her tenure successfully.