PTAD, be fair to retirees

One Yorùbá apigram states: Òógùn aláàrúù kìí gbe, which means in English thus: The financial entitlement of a labourer should not be delayed.

The unfair and lackadaisical attitude of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) towards refusing or delaying the payment of retirees, both federal gratuity and monthly stipends, pushed me to write this piece of article.

It is unfortunate after hectic and meritorious years in service, some retirees who dropped the pen of service a decade ago are yet to be paid their entitlements. This has made a lot of them live miserably and wretchedly.

As a result of over-thinking, some have developed some sort of ailment. Catering for the needs of the household remains a punishment for them. Majority of them have concluded to engage in farming for income accumulation instead of having a rest; an herculean job after service.

Frankly, the hesitation of PTAD to efficiently perform their responsibility is foul-smelling, reprehensible, and uncalled-for and it causes concern. And one could only think they aren’t sensitive to the pickles of the senior citizens.

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In my view, I sensibly envisage that the non-payment of these stipends to eligible individuals is likely to be as a result of corrupt practices bedevilling almost all sectors in Nigeria. Albeit, it is in this country we have heard salaries or stipends of the dead are illicitly and unscrupulously collected by the cretins at the corridor of power, which I believe the repercussions awaits them all.

According to investigation, a letter was sent from the PTAD office through a Private Mail Box to some retirees intimating them they are not entitled to receive the federal gratuity and monthly stipends whereas some of their contemporaries have gleefully received theirs. What does this mean?

All bids to reach the ministry in charge were to no avail as all the calls put to the phone of the complaint quarters were left unpicked.

I want to avail myself of this opportunity to beseech the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mohammadu Buhari to launch a committee that will look into the matter in PTAD, for hasty remedy be executed before aggrieved Nigerians begin to tag Buhari’s administration otherwise.

Also, the executive secretary of PTAD, Chioma Ejikeme should be conscious of the happenings in the office because any form of anomalies noticed will be laid as blame on his revered personality.

Don’t let the retirees’ labour be in vain, give them their entitlements.

Inaolaji, a social commentator, writes from Ogbomoso, Oyo State