Ekiti ADC candidate Bejide promises pension reform for retirees

Dare Bejide, the governorship candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Nigeria's Ekiti State, has promised a comprehensive pension reform aimed at alleviating the prolonged hardship faced by retirees. Drawing inspiration from Canada's welfare framework, Bejide outlined a vision to ensure prompt payment of pensions and gratuities, coupled with institutional reforms and a structured welfare model.

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I will bring to an end the prolonged hardship faced by pensioners through prompt payment of pensions and gratuities, institutional reforms and the adoption of a structured welfare model inspired by international best practices.

Speaking at an engagement with the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Ado Ekiti, Bejide, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, assured attendees that if elected, he would end the difficulties pensioners experience. He stressed that pension and gratuity payments are constitutional entitlements earned through years of service, not acts of charity, and must be paid consistently and promptly.

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Pension and gratuity are what our fathers and mothers laboured for throughout their years of service. They should never be reduced to the status of charity. These are earned benefits and must be paid promptly and consistently as a matter of obligation.

Bejide referenced Canada's robust retirement support systems, including the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and Guaranteed Income Supplement, as examples of how a society can provide financial protection and dignity to its senior citizens. He argued that Ekiti State can significantly improve its approach to elder care and retirement benefits, creating a system where pensioners are honored and receive their due without enduring decades-long waits.

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In Canada, the government deliberately plans for the welfare of its elderly population, regardless of their economic circumstances. That is the true meaning of a society that respects its senior citizens.

Recalling his tenure as Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, Bejide pointed to his administration's success in settling a backlog of gratuities, including liabilities dating back to the old Ondo State period, despite limited financial resources. He asserted that this achievement did not impede other developmental projects. He pledged to establish a transparent and accountable payment system for pensioners in Ekiti, promising that significant changes would be visible within his first year in office.

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My exposure abroad has convinced me that Ekiti can do much better. We must build a system where pensioners are honoured, paid promptly and never forced to wait for 10 or 15 years before receiving what rightfully belongs to them.