Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, Mary Ebiega, who spoke on behalf of the widows, widowers and bereaved family members, said that benefits of their dead relatives, pension inclusive, have not been paid since 2009.
“Our relatives worked with the university and died in active service, serving their fatherland but we are unable to access their benefits. The new Pension Reform Act and the new scheme was put in place to take care of the old scheme where relatives of deceased persons have to wait for long period of time before accessing their benefits but unfortunately, the problem still persists. We have submitted all necessary documents to Sigma Pensions but we are told that payment is made in batches. Contributions are not paid in batches, why payback in batches,” Ebiega argued.
“We are within three months ejected from residential quarters in the event of death of our relatives as if we are strangers in our own land. The question is, where is our late relations’ death benefits? Why eject families of late staff immediately after the death of a staff? Why would anyone eat corruptly from the dead? We have approached the authorities of ABU and we have a copy of a letter sent to the permanent secretary dated December 4, 2013 as a reminder on submission of death cases indicating that payments are not in their hands,” she said.
