The Nigeria Customs Service has released N7.61bn to nine Pension Fund Administrators for the payment of retirement benefits to 4,237 former officers, with the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, reaffirming the Service’s commitment to improving the welfare of its retired personnel.

Adeniyi disclosed this during a dialogue with retired Customs officers, where he announced that the funds had already been transferred to the Pension Fund Administrators for onward payment into the beneficiaries’ Retirement Savings Accounts.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service on Friday.

According to the statement, the disbursement is part of the Service’s broader efforts to ensure that retired officers receive their entitlements promptly while strengthening engagement between the Customs leadership and pensioners.

The statement read, “The Nigeria Customs Service has released N7.61 billion to nine Pension Fund Administrators for payment to 4,237 retirees, as the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to improving the welfare of its retired personnel.”

A breakdown presented during the meeting showed that Access-ARM Pension Managers had the highest number of beneficiaries, with 1,223 retirees, followed by Premium Pension Limited with 2,268 beneficiaries. Leadway Pensions accounted for 403 retirees, Trustfund Pensions had 156, FCMB Pensions had 144, Veritas Glanvills Pensions had 28, Norrenberger Pensions had 11, while Fidelity Pension Managers accounted for four beneficiaries, bringing the total number of retirees covered under the latest payment to 4,237.

Addressing the retirees, Adeniyi stressed that the Nigeria Customs Service must remain financially strong and institutionally stable to meet its obligations to both serving officers and retired personnel.

He said the welfare of former officers who devoted decades of their lives to the Service was directly tied to the future and credibility of the institution.

According to him, “The Service must remain strong and financially capable of meeting its obligations to serving officers and retirees. The welfare of officers who have dedicated decades of their lives to the Nigeria Customs Service cannot be separated from the future of this institution. We are committed to ensuring that our retirees receive the attention and support they deserve.”

The Comptroller-General also appealed to retired officers to continue engaging constructively with the Service instead of relying on rumours or unofficial information.

He said, “I acknowledged your concerns and suggestions raised, and it is in view of this that we called for this dialogue to promote better understanding and reduce the effect of rumours and unofficial information on the relationship between the Service and its retired personnel.”

Adeniyi added that regular interaction between the management and retirees would help resolve concerns more effectively while strengthening trust and transparency.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resources Development, DCG Tijjani Abe, alongside other members of the Customs Management Team.

The senior offic’rs assured the retirees that issues raised during the dialogue would receive appropriate consideration at both the Service’s Board and Management meetings as part of efforts to improve the welfare of former personnel.

Speaking during the engagement, the retirees commended Adeniyi and the Customs management for creating a platform that allowed them to interact directly with the leadership of the Service.

They described the dialogue as timely and appealed for such engagements to be institutionalised to strengthen the relationship between serving officers and retired personnel while addressing emerging welfare issues.

The latest pension disbursement comes amid wider reforms by the Federal Government aimed at improving the welfare of pensioners across the public service.

The Federal Government is currently reviewing statutory provisions governing pensions, including Section 15(4) of the Pension Reform Act 2014, to align them with Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), whichh guarantees the periodic review of pensions to reflect prevailing economic realities.

The reforms are expected to improve pension administration and enhance the financial security of retired public servants, including former personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service, as authorities seek to address longstanding concerns over retirees’ welfare and pension payments. (Sunday PUNCH)

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