A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to look into the plight of contributory pensioners in the country.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), appealed while speaking with newsmen yesterday in Osogbo. He noted that delayed or non-payment of pensions, inadequate funding, and corruption within the pension scheme had led to hardship and financial stress for pensioners.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, said that since 2004, when the federal government enacted the Pensions Reform Act (PRA 2004) that introduced the contributory pension scheme, pensioners had not been treated fairly by previous administrations in the country.
The APC chieftain, while lamenting that many pensioners are still unable to access their gratuities, expressed concerns that those who had served the government in their prime would end up being subjected to untold hardship and poverty after retirement due to delayed or non-payment of their retirement benefits.
Oyintiloye, who commended Tinubu for approving N758 billion bond in February to clear 16 years pension liabilities, said that more still needed to be done to save pensioners from poverty.
He also urged the President to work with the National Assembly in reviewing the 2004 Pensions Reform Act to enable pensioners to withdraw all their retirement savings immediately after exiting service and also have access to free healthcare once they reach 65 years.
