By Olayinka Williams
*Photo: President Bola Tinubu*
More often than not, the demands of leadership are such that the leader cannot see the seemingly small details. Invariably, such a leader is preoccupied with larger issues. In the process, he or she may inadvertently lose sight of the micro issues which touch crucially on the well-being of the citizen. Indeed, and although President Bola Tinubu has been able to get it right, as regards the welfare of pensioners, it appears that something very crucial is still missing.
Specifically, this centres around the recurrently tardy payment of pensions to our more than deserving and aged pensioners.
Incidentally, this scourge did not start yesterday. It started way back in January when, suddenly, hitherto regular pensions under the Tinubu administration assumed the garb of irregularity. For instance, as this piece is being written, we are in a new month, May 12 to be precise. Yet, pensioners under the old pension scheme are yet to be paid for the month of April.
It is painful to note that what should be a mere procedural issue has taken on a protracted and torturous dimension.
Therefore, the dire situation on our hands is that poor, old and vulnerable pensioners get tossed heartlessly between and among the various bureaucratic organs in Abuja. These organs include the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Pensions Transitional Administrative Directorate, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance. The tragedy is that when enquiries are made about this sensitive and humane matter, the various organs of government are very quick to point accusing fingers at one another. In this respect, they are very lucky. This is because they are able to hide under the shroud of anonymity. But it must be mentioned here that one social force does not enjoy this privilege of anonymity. This is President Tinubu. The frustrated and embittered pensioners are therefore likely to heap the blame on the Tinubu administration. This is because Tinubu is largely viewed as the visible face of this administration. Whereas those working for him and acting in his name are essentially responsible for wreaking this havoc and mischief on our pensioners.
On this note, the mind cannot help but wonder whether there could well be saboteurs within the various organs of public service who seek to portray this Tinubu administration in a bad light. It should be noted here that these are decisive times. Elections are around the corner, and as such, it is impossible to rule out any scenario, like saboteurs working for the enemy. After all, as the great book has noted, the mind of man is desperately wicked; who can know it?
Meanwhile, it is instructive to note here that the various officials who are responsible for this untoward situation get their own salaries regularly. As for the pensioners, the attitude of these officials is that they may well go and hang! Or better still, die of hunger. Or how well can one explain this infernal and heartless situation?
It is against this background that this plaintive message is being sent in an open forum. The fervent hope is that President Tinubu and his immediate aides will read this piece and do something urgent about this rather painful situation.
Therefore, and in the light of the foregoing, this is essentially an SOS to Tinubu on the current plight of our pensioners.
Broadly speaking, it is worth repeating that Tinubu has done a lot for pensioners.
But in terms of specifics, particularly as regards the plight of pensioners on the platform of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, the situation is very distressing. It is so distressing that as this piece is being written, pensioners: 70-year-olds, 80-year-olds and beyond continue to feed on the diet of despair as regards their April pensions. Among other things, this category of people needs to urgently buy medications that will sustain them in their old age.
It is time to apply the Jeremy Bentham dictum of the greatest good for the greatest number of people. In the bid to ameliorate this sad situation, these vulnerable and voiceless people should be paid their pensions promptly, too.
I am also calling out the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Accountant General’s office and the Ministry of Finance to urgently do something about this dire situation, which revolves around the wilful neglect of our pensioners.
*Olayinka Williams writes from Ebute-Meta, Lagos