N3 billion pension's fund diversion,Nigerian Railway pensioners protest

It was a pitiable site when recently, Pensioners of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Eastern Division 
gathered at their mess, Oloko gate, Asata, Enugu for their annual general meeting, accusing the railway management of being insensitive to their plight.   Present at the meeting were old pensioners of between  70 to 89 years who  had served the country meritously and retired for over Ten years without receiving their benefits. They  accused the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation,  Engr Adeseyi Sijuwade  of  insensitivity  and contributing to the sorrow and hard times they were passing through.  They lamented that some of  their members have died without receiving their entitlements and their next of kins were not paid either. They also accused him  for frustrating the transition of old pensioners of the Nigerian Railway Corporation to Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate as directed by the federal government , as well as  refusing  to pay pensioners their benefits. The pensioners who were looking sad also accused the Nigerian Railway Corporation's managing director of  'transfering the sum of  Three billion niara pensioners money to federation account without informing

the stakeholders.           

Briefing members on how far they had gone with the struggle, the chairman of the  Railway pensioners,.chief Emmanuel Nwachukwu disclosed that  they held a meeting with the managing director and he told them that he has transfered their pension's money (three billion niara) to federation account, an answer that did not go down with them. According to the chairman, they protested and sent a copy of their protest letter to the federal government  and in their reply, 'the  federal

government through the official letter from Head of Service, directed all ministeries, departments and agencies( MDAS)
under the old pension scheme to remit  all assets and liabilities to Pension Transition  Arrangement Directorate(PTAD) by October 2014, at the same time that all pension board of trustees be dissolved where applicable', but the Railway  managing director did not do that rather  he, the managing director  told them that he transfered the sum of  Three billion niara pension money meant to be used  to pay the pensioners their pension and gratuity  back to federation account,  while  he was still owing the pensioners many years of arrears.                The chairman said that the Railway management has not paid the 2005 retirees their severance packages, benefits and  has not also paid some Railway pensioners' next of kin who have already been verified and interviewed their benefits.  The chairman wondered  how the director of the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate, PTAD,  would get money to pay the pensioners when the railway
managent has not handed over all assets and liabilities of  the Nigeria Railway  Corporation, NRC,  Pensioners to Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate as directed by the
federal government,  He therefore urged the managing director of Railway to comply with the federal government 's  directive or be dragged to court by the pensioners.
    Comrade Nwachukwu  also urged the Railway management to  harmonize their pension as the Railway pensioners were the least paid.  -ends-