Published 26th Nov, 2022

By Emmanuel Uti

Hamisu Osayi, a Niger State-based civil servant, has narrated how First Guarantee Pension, a pension fund administrator (PFA), failed to release his deceased brother’s pension contribution to him.

The civil servant told FIJ that he did all that was required of him to receive his brother’s benefits as his next of kin, but the PFA continued to hold on to the benefit ”for no reason”.

According to Osayi, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Lafia, Nasarawa State, where his brother last worked, advised him in August 2016 to get a letter of administration so he could have access to the benefit and he did.

“In July 2017, the court gave us the letter and NTA paid all his entitlements to First Guarantee Pension. Since then however, we have not been able to have access to the money,” Osayi said.

“I also opened an account with First Guarantee Pension, following their advice in 2017, and was expecting to receive my brother’s N1,163,112, but they never paid out the benefit.

“Whenever I called them to confirm the status of the benefit payment, the desk officer would tell me he would get back to me.”

Three years after meeting all the requirements given to Osayi by First Guarantee Pension, the PFA is yet to pay him the benefit.

“I emailed and called First Guarantee Pension several times, but they refused to communicate with me. When they finally did, they said the FG had not paid my brother’s accrued benefit,” he said.

“But someone I contacted from the National Pension Commission told me the government had paid the money. When I got back to First Guarantee Pension in October, the desk officer said the FG still hadn’t paid. I am tired. Why has the PFA refused to release the money?”

FIJ made several phone calls to First Guarantee Pension for comments on the issue, but its phone lines were not reachable. A text message sent to the PFA had also not been responded to at press time.

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