Pensioners decry non-payment of check-off dues

Members of the Contributory Pensioners Union of Nigeria (CPUN) said the refusal of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to pay arrears owed its members as well as nonpayment of the one percent Check-off Dues is depriving them of necessary care after retirement. In an event to mark its first year in existence, President of the […]

Members of the Contributory Pensioners Union of Nigeria (CPUN) said the refusal of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to pay arrears owed its members as well as nonpayment of the one percent Check-off Dues is depriving them of necessary care after retirement.

In an event to mark its first year in existence, President of the union, Chief Uchedu Ekpo, stated that failure of PenCom to pay debts owed members over the period of 2007 and 2010 is appalling as some beneficiaries died without getting their benefits.

He said the union, which comprises those under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), were owed 38% and 15% backlog of their pension.

“The major challenges of this new and important union for all under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) concern CPUN’s requests for PenCom to begin to pay CPUN their one percent Check-off Dues deduction from members of contributory pensioners’ monthly pension bills. These are pensioners under the Programmed Withdrawal (PW) and Retirement Life Annuity (RLA).”

He added that while the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has paid members of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), PenCom is still computing information of many beneficiaries of the scheme.

He however appealed for a positive relationship between public and private sector pension agencies in Nigeria and relevant international organisations.

When contacted to react on why the payments have not been made, the spokesman of the Commission, Peter Aghahowa, did not reply to a text message sent to him and did not pick his calls.