Many retirees under the contributory pension scheme are groaning because they are finding it increasingly difficult to access their retirement benefits several months after they have been discharged by their erstwhile employers.The affected retirees, many of whom have complained to THE PUNCH, are worried that despite the fact that they are in possession of retirement bond certificates, the certificates have yet to translate into monthly pension payment.According to the complainants, months after submitting all the necessarily retirement documents and undertaking several visits to their Pension Fund Administrators, all what they have been getting are disappointing responses.They alleged that they had been left at the mercy of the PFAs, who they claimed had continued to tell them different stories.The retirees lamented that the scheme did not create any visible customer complaints service through which they could either lodge complaints or report the PFAs.A retiree, Mr. Yinka Adeoye, said he quit paid employment last year but got his retirement bond certificate in mid 2011. However, more than four months after submitting all the necessary documents to his PFA, he had yet to get either a lump sum or monthly pension payment."I dont trust my PFA, they keep telling me lies, I have been going to them every time for more than four months now, but I still cannot get my lump sum. I need help, I dont know where to go to again," he said.Another retiree, Mrs. Aina Ayodeji, claimed that she had got the retirement bond certificate and submitted all necessary documents to her PFA, but had yet to get either the lump sum or the monthly programmed withdrawal.She said, "Please help me, I dont know what to do again. When I called the customer care line given to me to access the National Pension Commission, I could not reach anyone there. "My PFA has collected all my documents, if they were not complete, I dont think the PFA would have collected them. Five months from when I submitted the documents, I cannot access any pension contributions."The inability of the pensioners to gain easy access to PenCom may not be unconnected to the fact that the commission operates from only one office in Abuja.However, the Director-General, PenCom, Mr. Muhammad Ahmad, urged the contributors and retirees to report defaulting PFAs to the commission for necessary action."Provision has been made for stakeholders to send complaints through the commissions website; in addition, there is a help desk at the reception of the commission that is fully manned for customer services between 9am and 6pm each working day," he said.He said, "As we ensured the welfare of our workers while in active service, we will continue to see to their welfare when they have disengaged from work. "We urge any displeased retiree who is having any issue to lodge complaints at the technical department of LASPEC and we will give them all necessary assistance because we are interested in their comfort."
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