How pensioners dey suffer for Nigeria
"I be BP patient, I no see money to buy my drugs, I no see money to use eat two meals for one day, na so house rent just dey pile up, if no be say my landlord na good man, im for don give me quit notice. Our fellow pensioners just dey die like mosquito sake of say dem no see money to buy dem drugs".
Most times sef, wen pensioners go collect dia money dem no dey see chair siddon Dis na di true life story of Onyebuchi Onyeikegbulam wey be former TV / Radio presenter for one goment media house wey dey for Imo State, south-east Nigeria. Im retire for 2014 and im na papa for three pikin dem. Papa Onyebuchi tell BBC Pidgin say since im retire, Imo State goment dey owe am 36 months pension and neva pay am gratuity. Di papa tok say Imo state goment neva pay im gratuity since im retire for 2014 Onyebuchi na just one out of plenti Nigerian pensioners wey dey suffer now sake of say dem pension money no dey come. For same Imo State, pensioners dey cry say goment no gree pay dem ova 52 months pension wey dem dey owe dem. But na di story for most states for Nigeria. Pension and gratuity na di ogbonge money wey old pipo suppose collect wen dem don retire from work, but di gbege be say plenti of dem no dey fit get dem money wen dem don retire for Nigeria. BBC Pidgin find out say plenti pensioners wey bin work for state and federal goment before dem retire neva get dem pension and gratuity. Some private companies too dey use di mata dey play sef. No knotri for old pipo Nigeria Pension Reform Act 2014 dey support say make workers and dem employer contribute some percentage for di worker pension account wey im go dey collect small small wen im don retire. Nigeria goment bin don send bail out fund and Paris club refund to state goments say make dem use am pay pensions and salaries, but plenti states for di kontri still dey owe dem pensioners. For Nasarawa State, northcentral Nigeria, pensioners do protest for early May 2018, wia dem dey ask dem govano Umaru Al-Makura to pay dem 18 months pension and gratuity arrears. Dem say about 200 of dem members don die sake of bad treatment by goment. Chidi Madu na chairman Pension Union for IBC Orient TV/FM Owerri and im neva get im gratuity since 2008 Commissioner for information for Imo State Nnamdi Obiareri tell BBC Pidgin say goment bin dey do verification to know fake pensioners for dem state. Say pipo wey dey manage pension mata bin dey do wuru-wuru, but say through di verification dem don catch pipo wey dey thief goment money. Some states wey dey try. Some state goment dey pay dem pensioners evri month, but dem no dey pay dem gratuity. Rivers State goment for southern Nigeria dey pay pensioners for di state but some pensioners neva get dem gratuity. Na di same tori for Kwara State. Sunday Adeleke wey be pensioner tell BBC Pidgin say dem no dey owe dem any pension, but say na gratuity be dem problem. "Once any goment worker retire for Kwara State, im go begin get im pension di next month if im don clear im papers," im talk. Chairman for pensioners join bodi for Kano State Salisu Ahmed Gwale tell BBC Pidgin say goment dey owe pensioners dem gratuity since 2015, but say dem dey collect dem pension evri month. Goment for Imo state say dem don do verification for pensioners, say dem go soon begin pay Dem promise dem no fulfil. For September 2017, Nigeria goment promise say dem go pay former Nigeria Airways staff dem pensions but dem neva still pay di money. Di group come go protest for road and post dem situation for dem facebook page. Nigeria goment minister of state for Aviation Senator Hadi Sariki for February 2018, say goment don provide di 45 billion naira wey dem go use pay di pension money, but dem neva still fulfil dem promise reach now. Di join bodi for pensioners for Nigeria, wey be Nigeria Union of Pensioners dey celebrate pensioners day on 11th December evri year. Di bodi get ova one million members for Nigeria. See wetin dem members dey tweet dey post for Facebook.