The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari has promised to make retirement for civil servants a thing to look forward to with joy and operate pension administration that will bring smiles to the faces of pensioners across the country.
General Buhari, who spoke while being presented with petition signed by a group of ex-servicemen protesting their treatment by the PDP-administration in the country, said that he is “saddened by the current situation of military, police and all other pensioners.”
He said that it is unconscionable to allow senior citizens, who have served the country with zeal and patriotism in their youth, to be subjected to indignity and suffering while waiting to be paid their gratuity and pension, with some even having to engage in protests in their quest to be paid.
The APC presidential candidate also said: “a situation where corrupt officials of state outrightly embezzle funds meant for payment of pensioners or delay such payment in order to fraudulently earn interest from deposit placements with banks will not be tolerated” and promised to put a stop to it.
General Buhari vowed to invoke provisions of Article 1.5 of the APC manifesto to ensure that months before retirement of any officer, his or her entitlements would be worked out and accruing gratuity paid on the effective date of retirement while pension will follow as at when due.
He said that the way and manner a society treats its aged and infirm is reflective of the civilization and decency of its people as a country, saying that Nigeria must strive to provide for the youth and build a strong future for retiring senior citizens.
This, he said is his covenant of service which he has pledged to uphold. [myad]
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