More than 200 contract staff of the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) has asked the institution management to remit their pension deductions to their various insurance companies, meant for their pension benefits, four years after retirement from the institution.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Thursday, the people, led by the secretary of the Unilorin pensioners, Dr, Salihu Ajia,said that both the university management and the insurance company in charge of the pensions scheme had been tossing them about with one excuse or the other.
Dr, Salihu Ajia, who said that payment of the pension benefits was supposed to commence immediately after their retirement, added that payment of their entitlement was being delayed despite completion of documentation with the university and the insurance company.
He said the affected people worked in different departments of the institution, such as teaching, administration, engineering, Radio station among others before their disengagement in 2017.
“The pension scheme is supposed to commence immediately after retirement once the individual has completed all documentation. This documentation we are talking about is tedious but we completed all necessary documentation before we retired on July 31, 2017.
“Ideally, after retiring and after completing all documentation with the university of Ilorin and our insurance company, our business is supposed to be with the insurance company, Leadway Insurance. However, there are many insurance companies to pick from according to the wish and discretion of the retirees.
“Having completed the documentation with the university of Ilorin and Leadway Insurance company, we approached the insurance company for the payment of our benefits, but to our chagrin, the insurance company said they had no business with us because the university did not remit our deductions to them.
“The insurance company added that it is Pencom that will give them directive to pay. But we don’t have anything to do with Pencom. However, we went to Pencom and getting there, they asked us to go back to the university. So , they have just been drilling and kicking us up and down like football because getting to the university, we were told that they have paid all our deductions to the insurance company.
“We know that it is only tenure employment (regular) that has to do with Pencom, not those of us on contract. As contract staff, the university is supposed to pay us at the end of our contract appointment. But that’s not happening now, ten years after.
“We are appealing to the management of the university of Ilorin to pay our entitlement without further delay because it is our right”, he said.
Speaking with the desk officer of the pension scheme, Mr. Opaleke, who confirmed being aware of the development, however, refused to speak further and referred us to the university’s director of Corporate Affairs, saying that except directed, he is not entitled to speak with journalists on the matter.
Meanwhile,the Director of the university of ilorin,Mr Kunle Akogun, also said that efforts his on the way to pay them their allowance as soon as possible,they should have more patient arrangements his on the ways to pay all those concerned in due course,he added.
