NNN pensioners petition Buhari over N2.1bn pension arrears

The New Nigerian Newspapers pensioners in Kaduna and Lagos have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over the non-payment of their N2.1 billion pension arrears.
The pensioners, in a letter signed by their secretary, Barr Albert Bola Iweka, said despite being verified by the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) 9 months ago with a promise that they would soon get paid, they were still awaiting their pension.
“We sincerely thank you Mr. President for the approval of the sum of N2.1 billion in February 2017 for the payment of pension to the retirees of the New Nigerian Newspapers.
“We regret to inform you that until now, we are yet to receive any payment after the verification of our members by the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) in October 2017. The reason for non-payment of the pension is best known to the Federal Ministry of Finance which has bluntly refused to release the find.
“This is in spite of a subsisting court judgment delivered on 28 October 2013 directing the Federal Government and the New Nigerian Newspapers to pay the outstanding arrears and monthly pension of the retirees which informed the approval of the N2.1 billion by Mr President.
“We humbly appeal for your urgent intervention in this matter in order to save the lives of the pensioners and their army of dependants and rid is of abject poverty occasions by the non-payment of our monthly pension and accrued pension arrears for more than 15 years,” the pensioners appealed.
Attached to the letter were the lists of 180 deceased members of the union who died before June, as well as a copy of the court judgment.