The Director-General of the Niger Pension Board, Alhaji Nasiru Namaska, has refuted claims of gratuity underpayment to retirees in the state.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Minna, Namaska stated that the board has been transparent and open in its payment processes.
He explained that most of the retirees who received their gratuities had been transitioned from the New Pension Scheme to the Old Pension Scheme.
“The reason for the reversion was that they complained about not receiving what they were entitled to under the new pension scheme.
“What those on the old pension scheme were receiving was higher than what those on the new scheme were getting, so the government reverted them to the old scheme in 2017,” he said.
Namaska disclosed that those who were moved from the new pension scheme to the old scheme had already received a lump sum payment from their Pension Fund Administration (PFA).
He clarified that the amount now being paid as gratuities represents the differential balance of the lump sum previously paid.
He added that the retirees who claimed they have been underpaid may have forgotten about the earlier payments they received.
“We have records of what each person was paid as a lump sum in the past, and the balance that each person is owed, which the Governor Bago-led administration is currently paying,” Namaska said.
He added that the payment of gratuities is being carried out in batches, with 1,374 retirees from both the state and local government having received their gratuities since the payment process began in July.
Namaska urged retirees to approach the board for clarification if they have any concerns, emphasising that the board remains committed to transparency and has nothing to hide.
He also noted that the state government was prioritising the payment of gratuities, with the payment of backlog of pension arrears being suspended due to significant financial liabilities.
NAN recalls that Governor Bago, on May 29, announced the approval of the release of N25 billion for the payment of gratuities to retirees who left service from the year 2000 to date. (NAN)
