The Forum of Retired Federal Directors of Nigeria has commended Clement Jimbo for championing the plights of Nigerian retirees.
The group gave the commendation during a courtesy call on the lawmaker in Abuja.
Led by its Chairman, Technical Committee, Mr. Ntufam Oqua Etta, the forum said that the motion on Pension Act Amendment, moved on the floor of the House by the lawmaker would go a long way in addressing the challenges retirees face.
He said that the move to amend the 2014 Pension Act to enable public and private retirees choose their mode of contributory pension scheme was a noble act.
Mr.Etta noted that they were happy to see a lawmaker that is passionate about the welfare of senior citizens and praised him for being magnanimous to sponsor such life enlivening motion to address the abnormalies in the 2014 Pension Act.
He had however appealed to the House that while amending the 2014 Pension Act; ” pension should reflect the current economic situation in the country.
He said immediate payment of pension after retirement without delaying to one to three years, optional contributory pension scheme for public and private servants to choose their mode of savings while in service and for Pension Fund Administrators to pay accrued sum to pensioneers unlike what is currently being practised by PFA”.
He decried the stagnant immigration payment system for retirees who are on the ” Contributory Pension Scheme”.
“Imagine paying somebody one hundred thousand naira since 2008 till date. It’s less than fifty thousand naira. With the rate of inflation in the country,”. Mr. Etta said.
The Adviser to the forum, Mr. Peter Dama, commended the lawmaker for the ability to think out of the box.
“We are not fighting for ourselves alone.Contributory pension scheme is punishment. It is short charging the pensioners. We have been trying but nobody is listening to us,” Mr. Dama said.
He harped on the fact that Pension of retirees on contributory Pension Scheme to be reviewed.
In his response, Jimbo, said that he was worried by the injustice meted on pensioneers by the Pension Fund Administrators, hence the reason he called for amendments of the Pension Act for proper management.
He reiterated that the law when amended will also provide options of savings for retirees to enable them choose if they will save with the PFA or individually.
He also pledged his commitments to sponsorship of people oriented bills and motions to alleviate poverty in Nigeria and thanked them for calling on him.
“It is our responsibility to fish out abnormalities and gaps in the society and bridge them,” Jimbo said
He assured the pensioners of elevation and escalation of the motion for speedy passage.
Recall that the Member Representing Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency in Akwa-Ibom state, in the Nigerian House of Representatives, Hon Clement Jimbo, has moved a motion seeking the amendment of the 2015 Pension Scheme Law.
Confidence Okwuchi
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