Retired Ambassador cries out to FG over N2,400 monthly pension

A former Nigerian ambassador to Egypt and Iran in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ambassador Umar Bashir Wali, has cried out to the federal authorities over his N2, 400 monthly pension.

The retired diplomat stated that he served Nigeria all his life till 1st January 1990 when he retired from civil service on grade level 16 as a Nigerian ambassador and when his pension was about N50,000.

He added that even with the several reforms on the pensions sector, his monthly pension kept shrinking instead of increasing, to the extent of being stopped for years.

“Even as a retired ambassador who served this nation for 36 years, for eight years, I had been receiving N1, 800 as my monthly pension and later it was increased to N2, 400; that is what I have been given as my pension in the last eight years.

“I am 82 years and weak. I have written several complaints to pension office in Abuja to no avail. I have also gone there on several occasions to complain on the same issue. I have written and they promised to rectify but up till this moment nothing has been done about it.

“I am appealing to authorities concerned to as a matter of fairness look into this issue,” Ambassador Bashir Wali told Daily Trust.

In response to the former ambassador’s case, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has said that the payment of the outstanding retirement benefits of Ambassador Umar Bashir Wali is awaiting approval.

The Head of Corporate Communications of the Directorate, Theodora Amechi said the pensioner was verified in November 2015 during a Civil Service Verification Exercise in Kano and his outstanding benefits processed.

“The pensioner supplied affidavits for his letter of first appointment and letter of retirement which delayed the resolution of his complaint,” she said.

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