Better Life For Pensioners

The dream of every
worker is to joyfully retire after the required years of service.  An employee either in private or public sector, having put all his life into active service will naturally look forward to a peaceful and rewarding retirement guaranteed by a dependable retirement policy.
In many countries around the world, workers expect retirement with enthusiasm and even pray for it because of the numerous gains therein.  In some of these sane societies, retirees are classified among the rich because the retirement policies in practice make it possible for them to have the good things of life.  They do not bother about food, medicare and other basic needs of life because government caters for that.
Incidentally, such happy last days is still a tall dream for Nigerian retirees. Over the years, the story of retirees in Nigerian has been that of agony, sorrow, frustration and panic.  Under payment of retirement benefits, low remittances and  in some cases, non remittances of pension contributions as well as undue administrative protocols,  deliberately created by some pension fund administrators, have been their lot.
The picture of haggard-looking pensioners collapsing and dying on endless queues for verification exercise is no longer news.  Just last Monday scores of pensioners in the state took to the streets in protest of their alleged three months unpaid allowances and harmonization arrears.  In many other states stories are heard of how retirees are dying for non-payment of their entitlement.
Our senior citizens continue to suffer and wallow in abject poverty while the money meant for their welfare is embezzled by corrupt, privileged individuals.  The story of how the former police pension boss, Yakubu Yusuf embezzled a whooping sum of N23bn meant for police retirees is still fresh in our memories.
The most worrisome thing is that there were no stringent laws to deal with these people who grew fat at the expense of the retirees.  For instance, Yusuf, having pleaded guilty to the embezzlement of N23.3 , was merely given a 2 –year jail  sentence with an option of N25,000.00, in addition of the forfeit of a property valued at N325 million.
That explained why some people considered commendable, the signing of the Pensions Reform Bill, 2014 into law by President Goodluck Jonathan.  With that, the Pension Reform Act, No 2, 2004 was repealed.  The new law prescribes 10-year jail term for anybody that embezzles pension fund. It is also designed to punish offenders with a view to serving as deterrent to those who may want to mis-manage or divert pension fund assets.
It was hoped that the law which vests power in the pension commission to institute criminal proceedings against employers for persistent refusal to remit pension contributions will end the stories of illegal lodgment of funds and prompt employers to do the needful towards ensuring better retirement of their employees.
Incidentally, seven months into the emergence of the law, the unfortunate woes of the pensioners have not changed.  It is therefore advisable that the Pensions Reforms Bill 2014 be adequately enforced.
It should not go the way  of several other laws chunked out by our federal and state lawmakers aimed at making the society better, but are hardly implemented, making  offenders to continue to go scot free.
These weak and helpless retirees had contributed immensely to the development of the country and deserve better treatment by all and sundry particularly those in authority.  Their welfare should be of utmost importance to any responsible government.
We have been crying of high rate of corruption in Nigerian especially in the civil service and the situation is not likely to change as long as workers are not sure of living good lifes upon their retirement.  Some of them see corruption and embezzlement of government fund as a way of gathering for the rainy day.  A more positive attitude toward the pensioners will no doubt enhance the productivity of the workers who will give in their best, knowing that their future is assured.
It will also curtail the practice of age reduction by workers who want to avoid the dreaded retirement.
We need to put an end to the horror and sorrow that has become synonymous with retirement in Nigeria  if we must expect happy retirement ourselves for the measure one gives is definitely the  measure he receives.

Calista Ezeaku