By Atiyah Mahmoud

A public affairs commentator and Author in Ilorin, Comrade Abdulateef Ishowo has commented on the petiton by the Correctional Officers Pencom Retirees Association of Nigeria (COPRAN), which states that the contributory Pension Commission (PenCom) scheme is worsening the challenges of retirees.

He stated this while featuring on the Diamond fm Ilorin magazine programme, the Diamond Breakfast Show  on Thursday, 29th August 2024.

Comrade Ishowo disclosed that the issues relating to the challenges of retirees and the Pension Commission is an issue that shouldn’t occur in the country, adding that the challenges speaks more of the incompetence of those at the helms of affairs in the country.

He further stated that the challenge didn’t start with the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying that Nigeria is a complex Nation that when a particular challenge is attempted  to be solved, it escalates to creating more problems.

“In an attempt to solve the problems being faced by pensioners, the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo instituted the current pension scheme in 2004 but the challenges in PENCOM has worsened. Looking at the challenges of PENCOM, the situation of retirees speaks volume of the callous nature of Nigerian Leadership, in the sense that, when you look at public servants, why is that they don’t have issues with their allowances even after they left offices, there was even a time we heard that, there were individuals collecting pension as Governors and still collecting salaries as senate members. When it comes to civil servants, the issues are a lot, for instance working for 25 years in a federal establishment and everything you have contributed is about 4million naira and the federal government will add another 4 million naira that makes is 8 million naira altogether, the pension administration will divide the money into 3 parts, one part is secluded for the person and the rest will be kept for about 10 years or more. But looking at the situation of retirees from Kwara state civil service, you are likely to receive your pension for the rest of your lives. It means there’s a clear disparity between the Federal Government and state government pension scheme“ said Ishowo.

He further commented on the Canada based Nigeria woman, who threatened to poison the fellow Nigerians residing in Canada, particularly Yorubas and Benins, identified as Amaka Patience Sunnberger.

Ishowo describes Amaka as a wicked person and a coward who isn’t ready to go through reality and has decided to go the brutal way in solving issues of racial and tribal bigotry.

 “We can liken Amaka to a Boko Haram or a terrorist. And I would like to advice the Nigerian Government to expatriate people like Amaka so she can serve as a detterrent to others likely to perpetuate such acts.” says Ishowo.

Edited by Nedu Okorie

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