Unpaid pension: Over 1,000 NAMA retirees seek FG’s intervention

Over 1,000 retirees of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency are still awaiting their pension benefits years after exiting service, as they decry the prolonged delay and urge the Federal Government to urgently intervene. Former Director of Air Traffic Services at NAMA and Chairman of the NAMA Pensioners Association, Stephen Olopha, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the lingering non-payment of pension increase arrears. Olopha told The PUNCH that the affected pensioners, who transitioned from the Defined Benefits Scheme to the Contributory Pension Scheme following the enactment of the Pension Reform Act, had not received pension increments since 2007. He said, “We have over 1,000 retirees who have yet to get their pension. The situation is still the same as we have known since 2007. As a result of our transition from the defined benefits scheme, there was an operation before the 2004 Contributory Pension Act. So, our accrued rights were transferred into the Contributory Pension Scheme. “So, they ought to have been increasing our pension, which they never did. So, we are asking them to pay all our arrears, pension increase arrears, from 2007 to date. And we attached a list of people who have died of poverty, suffering, because they never believed that our pensioners should be earning from the Contributory Pension whereas that is not the intention of the government.” He lamented that despite several engagements with relevant authorities; no action had been taken to address the concerns of the retirees. “So, when we were holding meetings with them, thinking that they would do something, but they have not done anything. And so, the pensioners have no other option but to call on the President and Commander-in-Chief to intervene. Probably NAMA doesn’t have the money to pay,” he said. Olopha urged the Federal Government to provide financial support to enable the agency to settle the outstanding obligations, saying, “The Federal Government can give them money. So we cannot continue like this. A lot of our pensioners are old. “Some of them have retired since 2009. And up to now, they have not received their pension increases and arrears. Whereas the Treasury-funded agency, the federal government has released funds for them to pay the retirees who transitioned to the Contributory Pension Scheme. Related News Abducted Easter worshippers still missing after 70 days — Kaduna community APC, PDP trade words over Pantami’s political membership status Nigeria faces critical ocean governance test ahead of Kenya summit “And they have asked the self-fun