Agony Of Nigeria’s Pensioners

A pensioner could be described as one who is receiving
a pension especially from the government. More often than not pensioners are a group of people associated with greater age, especially those on statutory retirement  who have served the government in various capacities.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had since alerted that about three million pensioners are feared dead each year.
This is quite disheartening as the group insisted that this huge number of pensioners die every year from lack of care, and neglect by the Nigerian government, which they meritoriously served using thirty  five productive years of their youthful age.
It is indeed a concern to note that a lot of our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters who have served this nation in one capacity or the other, who have made various contributions to our existence as a country who laboured for the young to see a society they can still call theirs, often die simply because of lack of care and neglect at the point the need society most.
It is therefore easy to assert that the treatment of pensioners in Nigeria is one of the worst in the world.  To met it represents a huge display of our hypocritical nature because we claim to have a “culture” that respects senior citizens, yet no real action is taken towards the protection and care of the retirees and the elderly.
For instance, from the taxi driver who blares his car horn or shouts at the elderly man to “comot for road you old papa” to the youthful neighbor who “grips” the shirt of the elder who ventures to settle a dispute brought before him; the policeman, who doesn’t bother to protect the elderly when in public places; and the politicians who have not  passed a single legislation to socially protect the retirees as well as countless families that dump their retired parents in old peoples homes or in the villages uncared for are all guilty of gross disservice to the retirees and old citizens.
Moreover it is disheartening to note the extent of neglect brought on them by the which  even after the most recent harmonized salary structures, some pensioners who retired at the rank of substantive director on grade level 16, still earn a pension of les than N50,000 per month this is in addition to some who are refused or being owed their pension gratuity. For instance, pensioners of the Rivers State government who left service over five years ago have not been paid their federal government share of gratuity up till date.
That is the level of hypocrisy Nigeria displays when it comes to the care and protection of elderly people. Suffice to state that unlike their Nigerian counterparts, pensioners in the UK, America, Canada, and many other countries have a much more different story to tell. For example, pensioners and elderly people in these countries have special seat on public transportation reserved for them; they have designated portions of every public infrastructure; the public is reminded to be cautious of them  with “caution signs” every where; the police and other security agents walk them past busy roads; they receive social security financial supports apart from their pensions for their upkeep; they enjoy many healthcare programmes to keep them alive and healthy at no cost to them;  they are taking on trips, enjoy recreation, attend organized entertainment programmes free of charge.
Unfortunately, in Nigeria, our rulers and politicians make laws to favour themselves and their immediate families.
For instance in Nigeria, the ruling class and politicians frequently review their salaries and remunerations upwardly. Presently there are moves by the National Assembly in Nigeria to promulgate laws to bring members under pension scheme, so that on leaving office, they will be entitled to the very huge amount of money and social benefits they presently earn in service.
The country’s law makers are busy contemplating on issues of their self interest, instead of giving haope to pensioners who have meritoriously served the nation.
It is sad that in Nigeria no politician has ever included in his or her campaign manifesto to a proposal for the betterment of the elderly.
It is interesting to note that the pensioners in Canada, UK, and America are the highest contributors to charitable organisations. They donate with ease their life savings and investments and much more to issues that support the needy and less privileged in the society. This obviously is because they feel a strong sense of gratitude towards the society for the support and protection they receive unlike the position of the elderly in Nigeria.
Clearly put, the disparity between Nigeria and these developed countries in caring for their “senior citizens” is so much that it has become very necessary to stage a campaign for urgent need to bridge the gap. This could be achieved with support from the private sector which could introduce  innovative solutions intended to raise the life expectancy of Nigerians particularly pensioners as  obtainable in most developed nations.
It is a natural phenomenon that “if we don’t start to honour the elderly, we shouldn’t expect to live long as a society.”
Fuayefika, a public affairs analyst, writes from Port Harcourt.

Tonye Fuayefika