Olorogun David Edevbie speaking during the DBS programme
By Jon Egie
Hope is now lit for over 6,683 retirees from local government councils and local government education authorities cum public primary schools teachers in Delta State whose lives hang on the balance due to the failure of the Delta State Government led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to pay their gratuities; as Olorogun David Edevbie has assured of full payment of their retirement benefits once elected as governor of Delta State.
Speaking on a Delta Broadcasting Service programme, ‘Meeting Point’, anchored by the Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, yesterday in Asaba; Olorogun David Edevbie said it amounted to disincentive for public service when senior citizens who have contributed to the development of the state and participated in the Contributory Pensions Scheme, CPS, to be living in deprivation of their entitlements and subjected to hardship.
He said, no doubt, the state government is concerned about the situation of retirees but constrained by funds. But he assured that he would deploy his financial management expertise to generate the needed funds to pay up all retirement benefits within his early days in office as governor of Delta State.
Reacting to the assurance, Chairman of retirees in the CPS, across Delta State, Mr Augustine Mode said the assurance given by Olorogun David Edevbie was a welcome development.
“We welcome his promise and pray God grant him his heart desires. We therefore call on all retirees in the State to be mindful of who they support and vote for the man who has their interest at heart.”
Over 500 retirees across the State have died while waiting for the payment of their retirement benefits with Warri South LGA alone recording over 66, a credible source told Spy News.
Level of indebtedness
As at October, 2021 indebtedness owed the 6,683 retirees rose to to N54, 463, 940,912.00 (Fifty-four billion, four hundred and sixty-three million, nine hundred and forty thousand, nine hundred and twelve naira.)
The breakdown of the indebtedness is as follows: Local Govt Councils comprising of 2,748 retirees are owed N9,087,258,311.00 (Nine billion, eighty-seven million, two hundred and fifty-eight thousand, three hundred and eleven naira), while their counterparts in the Local Govt Education Authorities cum public primary schools teachers totalling 4,985 retirees are owed N45,376,682,601.00 (Forty-five billion, three hundred and seventy- six million, six hundred and eighty-two thousand, six hundred and one naira).
Documents available to Spy News inform that payment is ongoing in the Contributory Pensions Scheme and has been made up to December, 2014; which is first of the four batches of local government education authorities cum public primary schools teachers and to June, 2017 for local government councils retirees.
That is 7 and 4 years after retirement respectively, they are yet to receive their retirement benefits.
It was learnt that considering the level of indebtedness resulting from the backlog of unpaid benefits in the scheme, attempts were made by the Bureau of Local Govt Pensions in the past to get Governor Okowa and members of the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee, JAAC, to increase the Redemption Bond Fund from the current N300 million monthly remittance for payment of the retirement benefits to N500 million in order to accommodate more retirees in payment but that effort has yielded no fruit till date.
Default to remittances and consequences
In fact, a total of 9,120 retirees were on queue for payment and as at November, 2021 a total of 2,437 retirees have been paid leaving the remainder of 6,683 in despair and forlorn hope, awaiting payment as at October, 2021.
Up to the month of July, 2021 all the Pension Contributions deductions received from various local government councils for employees of Local Govt Councils and Local Govt Education Authorities cum public primary schools teachers in Delta State had been remitted to the Retirement Savings Account, RSA, of the employees while efforts were on to remit August-October 2021 contributions.
But it was painful to learn that remittance for the month of December, 2020 for local government councils and local government education authorities cum public primary schools employees were not remitted to the Bureau of Local Govt Councils in the State and as such, remittances were not made to the RSAs of the employees for that month.
In spite of all entreaties, the following LGAs defaulted in remitting their monthly pension contributions to the Bureau: Ndokwa East, a total of N17,345,892.18 (Seventeen million, three hundred and Forty-five thousand, eight hundred and ninety-two naira and eighteen kobo.
Ughelli South, a total of N10,485,151.88 (Ten million, four hundred and eighty-five thousand, one hundred and one thousand, eighty-eight kobo).
Patani, a total of N13,489,496.08 ( Thirteen million, four hundred and eighty-nine thousand, four hundred and ninety-six naira and eight kobo).
Ndokwa West, a total of N6,527,295.83 (Six million, five hundred and twenty-seven thousand, two hundred and ninety-five naira and eighty-three kobo).
The sum total yet to be remitted to the Bureau by the defaulting local government councils is N47,847,835.97 (Forty-seven million, eight hundred and forty-seven thousand, eight hundred and thirty-five naira and ninety-seven kobo.
It was also learnt that in addition to the default, the Bureau was yet to receive 7.5 per cent and 10 per cent contributions for Local Govt Education Authorities/public primary schools employees from the 25 local government councils in the state and these amounted N170, 792,630.10 (One hundred and seventy million, six hundred and thirty thousand, six hundred and thirty naira and ten kobo) and hence, the remittances were not made to the RSA of the local government councils and local government education authorities for December 2020.
“It is in record that this matter has been reported to the appropriate authorities and the outcome is still being awaited. Needless to mention that if this ugly trend is not nipped in the bud, it has the tendency to derail the Scheme” the document said.
Genesis of the problem and Government’s apathy
The document which emanated from the Pension Fund Management Meeting held on Thursday, December 6, 2021 also spoke on update on outstanding 10 per cent employer contribution.
“It should be recalled that between May, 2016 and September, 2018 as a result of the serious financial challenge faced by the local government councils in the state, the 10 per cent Employer Pension Contribution was suspended by the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee, JAAC, which led to a backlog/outstanding deduction of N5,929,496,290.30 (N2,573,587,868.65 for LGCs and N3,355,908,421.65 for LGEAs/primary schools).
According to the document, “Management of the Bureau had through Memos and Letters reminded His Excellency, the Governor (Okowa) and members of the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee, JAAC, of the problem, and the challenge posed to payment of full benefits to the retirees particularly those whose payments fall within the stated period. The situation remained the same.
“The Bureau would continue to explore every opportunity available to it to represent the matter, as the deduction in question firm part of the Employers’ Statutory Pension Contribution to the Retirement Savings Account of employees and it is incumbent on them (the employers) to remit same.”
It could be recalled that in September 8, 2020, retirees staged a protest to Government House, and the Delta State House of Assembly demanding Governor Okowa and relevant authorities to pay their retirement benefits.
The protest yielded no fruit as neither the Governor nor the Speaker of the House came out to address the senior citizens but paid deaf ears to them.
In continuation of the agitation, the retirees changed tactics from the confrontational approach to lobbying. They met traditional, religious and political leaders across the State and secured assurances of persuading the governor, Sen Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, to do something about their plight, especially as a good number of them were dying by the day while the living are subjected to very harsh economic conditions, social embarrassment, hunger and lack of money to buy drugs and even pay children’s school fees.
Among the persons contacted by the retirees to intervene were:
i. HRM Dr. E. O. Efeizomor II (JP), OON. The Obi of Owa
ii. The Delta State Advisory Committee, led by Prof. Sam.Oyovbaire
iii. Rev. Father Christopher Ekabo, St. Mathias Catholic Church, Uzere
iv. His Excellency Chief James Onanefe Ibori (Former Governor)
v. The Delta State Commissioner of Police
vi. Archbishop Cyril Odiboroghene Odutemu, Archbishop of Bendel Province, Anglican Communion.
vii. Bishop Kingsley Enakirerhi. Chairman, Delta State Pentecostal Fellowship (PFN).
Letter was written to Delta State ALGON Chairman. Hon. Barr. Victor Ebonka, several letters to the Governor, several letters to The Head of Service, letter to The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and several letters to The Bureau of Local Government Pension.
Some of those eminent personalities contacted, we learnt, having failed to persuade the governor to do something meaningful, advised the retirees to wait for the next governor and pledge support for him during the 2023 Governorship election so that their case would be attended to.
Retirees take case to God
In their despair the retirees last week Thursday, January 27 rising from a meeting held at the Energy Hotel, Ozoro resolved to hand over their case to God in prayer believing that with prayers God would make a way for them even if the governor remains unmoved by their precarious plight.
According to the retirees, the prayer sessions shall be held at strategic positions in Asaba any time soon.
About Author
