President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration has put a stop to the dehumanization of federal pensioners, through the prompt payment of their entitlements and backlog of arrears.
He said he will do more if re-elected in 2019.
The President spoke, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, led by the acting president, Comrade Musa Ayuba Dallatu, at the State House.
In the not too distant past, the treatment of pensioners by past administrations, was nothing to write about as they were ignored and neglected.
Slowly the story has changed with the national union of pensioners, paying glowing tribute to actions taken by the Buhari administration in the past four years. They are in the Presidential Villa this day to attest to giant strides taken to right wrongs of the past.
Such actions include: the release of N22.4 Billion for Payment of Ex-Nigeria Airways Pensioners, the approval for PTAD to assume the responsibility of paying the monthly pensions of Delta Steel Company retirees after thirteen years of neglect and the placement of NITEL/MTEL Pensioners on Payroll after thirteen years.
Also placed on payroll by this administration are the Biafra Police War Veterans almost 50 years after the civil war.
But the pensioners believe there is room to do more.
The president agreed with their stand pointing out that under his government, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has saved N4.9 trillion annually as a result of payroll clean-up under the
Civil Service verification exercise.
The President is confident that there will be room to do more for the pensioners if he is returned to office in 2019
The verifiable claims made by the Buhari administration, will give this section of the society much to think about in deciding if the President can be taken at his word and whether he should have their vote.
