Pensioners of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have appealed to relevant authorities over persistent delays in the payment of their monthly pensions by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).
The retirees, operating under the Concerned NEPA/PHCN Pensioners platform, said irregular pension payments over the past three months have exposed many members to severe hardship and uncertainty.
The group’s leader, Mr. Dunmoye Oladimeji, said the February pension was not paid until March 13, while the March pension was only received around April 8.
“It has been a harrowing experience for all of us since February. They did not pay the February pension until March 13. We were told stories about funds not being released on time,” he said.
Oladimeji noted that repeated attempts to obtain clear explanations from PTAD had produced little result.
“We have called several times and sent messages to PTAD. Sometimes, they do not even provide explanations until we begin making enquiries. They then say that the Office of the Accountant-General has not released the funds,” he stated.
The pensioners questioned why pension allocations already captured in the annual budget were not being released promptly, stressing that retirees should not be subjected to avoidable hardship after years of service.
They urged the relevant authorities to ensure the timely release and disbursement of pension funds in order to ease the difficulties currently facing retirees.
