Pensioners of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Benin branch, have protested the alleged non-payment of their pensions, gratuities and other entitlements spanning 25 years.
The retirees, who staged the protest on Friday, called on the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to release their outstanding benefits, which they estimated at more than ₦350 billion.
Speaking on behalf of the pensioners, Alile Osakioduwa alleged that the Federal Government had already released funds to PTAD for the payment of the outstanding entitlements, but that the retirees were yet to receive the money.
According to him, the outstanding payments include arrears arising from harmonisation, monetisation and electricity rebates, as well as shortfalls in gratuities owed to some workers who retired as far back as 2000.
“Putting everything together, it’s over ₦350 billion that they are now owing us,” Osakioduwa said.
He also alleged that the pensioners had not benefited from recent pension increments approved by the Federal Government, including increases implemented under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Osakioduwa appealed to PTAD to urgently address the situation, warning that many former workers were struggling to afford medical treatment and meet their basic needs.
He said some pensioners had died while others were battling age-related illnesses without adequate financial support.
Another pensioner, Solomon Ifijeh, claimed that funds meant to settle the retirees' outstanding entitlements were released to PTAD in May through the intervention of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Ifijeh said the pensioners were initially assured that payment would commence in June before the timeline was shifted to July.
According to him, July had passed without any payment or clear indication of when the retirees would receive their benefits.
He appealed to President Tinubu to intervene and direct PTAD to resolve the matter.
The pensioners maintained that they had served the country's electricity sector for decades, first under NEPA and later PHCN, and urged the Federal Government to prevent further delays in settling their entitlements.
They said the prolonged non-payment had subjected many retirees and their families to severe financial hardship, particularly as the beneficiaries are now advanced in age and increasingly dependent on their pension benefits.
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