Relief, gratitude, lingering questions as CPS pensioners thank Tinubu

• Seek clarity from PenCom

It was a day of thanksgiving, relief and unresolved questions for members of the Contributory Pensioners Union of Nigeria (CPUN), Eleyele branch Ibadan, as retirees gathered in Ibadan last week to celebrate the payment of long-awaited pension arrears while demanding transparency on how their entitlements were calculated.

At the thanksgiving ceremony, pensioners who are under the CPUN Oyo State Chapter praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the clearance of arrears owed under the CPS, describing the intervention as unprecedented since the scheme was established.

They also acknowledged the role of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) in facilitating the payments but stated that the struggle was far from over.

Chairman of the association, Chief Comrade, Mathew Amao Shittu, in his welcome address, said the payments brought relief but also confusion, as many retirees were unsure how the figures credited to them were arrived at.

He said: “We appreciate the Federal Government for its good intentions towards retirees, but the implementation has been poor. Some people have been paid, some have not, and those who have received money do not understand what exactly they were paid for.”

He explained that the arrears were split into multiple categories including the 20 and 28 per cent increases, consequential adjustments of 9 and 59 per cent, a 33 per cent category applicable only to those who retired between specific years, a 15 per cent component, and the N32,000 wage award approved by the Federal Government.

According to him, retirees were never formally informed whether the percentages were calculated based on their salaries while in service or on their current monthly pensions.

“How can you pay someone and not explain how you arrived at the figure?” he asked.

“If PenCom does not personally inform us and continue to remain silent, we will be forced to ask anti-corruption agencies to intervene. If there is nothing to hide, why leave retirees in the dark?”

Shittu shared his personal experience, noting discrepancies between expected and actual payments, and said repeated enquiries to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) yielded no clear explanations.

Despite the concerns, the mood at the event was largely one of gratitude.

Dr.  Oloyede Oyinloye, an Ibadan-based pensioner, described President Tinubu’s intervention as a turning point in the history of the CPS.

“This is the first time since the establishment of the contributory pension scheme that arrears are being addressed comprehensively. Today, retirees receive their pension within weeks of retirement. That was unthinkable before now”, he said.

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He credited sustained advocacy by pensioners’ groups and the media for drawing attention to the hardship faced by CPS retirees over the years.

“We started this struggle because people were retiring and waiting endlessly for their money. Many died before enjoying the fruits of their labour,” he said. “Now, we are seeing progress.”

Also speaking, Secretary of the Contributory Pensioners Union of Nigeria (CPUN), Southwest zone, Comrade Idowu Ogunjinrin, traced the agitation to 2011, describing the journey as painful but historic.

“I retired in 2010 and what I received as pension was a fraction of my last salary,” he recalled. “Those under the old defined benefit scheme were getting close to 80 per cent of their final pay, while CPS retirees were left with crumbs.”

He said the recent payment of arrears, funded partly through the N758 billion bond issued by the Federal Government, marked the first real acknowledgement of CPS pensioners’ plight.

“President Tinubu has done what past administrations failed to do,” Ogunjinrin said. “He listened and acted. This bond, which we were promised years ago, has finally been paid.”

However, he stressed that key demands remain unresolved particularly the issue of gratuity, which CPS retirees insist is distinct from their contributory lump sum.

He maintained that what they received is largely what they contributed, alongside government contributions, noting that gratuity is a reward for years of service, and it is still outstanding.

He added that legal representations made to PenCom in the past were never answered.

The pensioners also rejected moves to limit the N32,000 wage award to a one-off payment, insisting that CPS retirees should receive it monthly, just like those under the defined benefit scheme.

In addition, the pensioners called for health insurance coverage for pensioners, noting that many retirees cannot afford medical care.

As prayers were offered and songs of thanksgiving filled the hall, the pensioners were united in cautious optimism, grateful for progress made, but determined to continue pressing for full transparency, gratuity payments and equitable treatment under Nigeria’s pension system.

“We thank God we are alive to witness this moment,” Ogunjinrin said. “But the struggle continues.”