President Buhari, save the souls of FRSC retirees By M. O. Eje

 

The Federal Government’s magnanimity and graciousness in preparing and approving welfare packages for all categories of staff when in service and at retirement are being appreciated by workers.
But unfortunately the management of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says capital NO to the Federal Government service rules by modifying to short change and prevent staff/retirees from enjoying benefits enjoyed by other federal government agencies and organizations. As a result of this maltreatment and misnomer it is obvious that Federal Road Safety staff/retirees are suffering a great deal and always looking wretched with exception of the top brass.
Several years after retirement FRSC has not paid we retirees our disengagement allowance which should have been paid at the point of or before final disengagement.
Lawfully, disengagement allowance is retirees’ right as specified by the Federal Government Public Services Rules 2008 edition and as contained in FRSC amended conditions of service 2013. The Corps also operates within the ambit of Pension Reform Act 2014. In the above conditions there is no clause that retirees will only be paid their disengagement allowance if there is fund and if there is no fund they should not expect payment. It also does not specify the category of staff in the Corps to be paid disengagement allowance, it is for every staff in accordance to ranks.
Based on the above provisions, disengagement allowance is usually budgeted for yearly by organizations or agencies in readiness for disbursement to their retiring staff. The retiring staff need not apply before being paid. Since we have wastefully waited without being paid, we decided to apply but no response was given up to the time of writing this article. We have also sent several letters of reminder and yet no reply from the commission. If Federal Road Safety Commission is claiming it could not pay the disengagement allowance due to paucity of funds why didn’t it heed President Muhammdu Buhari’s advice that organizations or agencies owing their staff/retirees should apply for funds so that it would be made available to them to offset their debt?
During our service years, we were short changed or not paid most of the allowances we were entitled to such as; allowances upon assumption of duty which included first twenty eight (28) days is never paid yet a staff is expected to assume work without any mobilization allowance contrary to the public service rules, leave grant (allowance) and transfer allowance when posted out to new command first twenty eight (28) days, disturbance allowance, baggage, transportation and children allowance. The Commission never paid the above allowances even if paid the payment are to selected few. This is making staff to doubt if FRSC is the same FG agency other FG agencies belong to. The commission posts staff at will up to three times in a year without minding the inconveniences and the risk it exposes the staff to by travelling too often than necessary.
Other allowances are uniform allowance, patrol allowance, duty tour allowance, hazards/risk allowance: Most often staff when knocked down while on official duty end up using part of their salary to treat themselves or contribution from fellow staff. There are the thirteenth month bonus and monthly departmental allocation. Imagine a full department in the sector command collecting N1,500 or N2,000 as departmental monthly contribution. Staff end up using their salary to augment and cannot complain due to fear of victimization. Appointment and Acting appointment allowances are also not paid.
Federal Road Safety Commission modifies the FRSC condition of service to favour selected few within the Corps to the exclusion of other staff contrary to the public service rule. The commission hides all the circulars pertaining to allowances staff are entitled to in accordance to rank, as such, staff are in the dark as to what is due them as per allowances. In short, most of the Federal Government Policies in respect to staff welfare are shrouded in secrecy but only open to selected few in the Corps.
The centenary rappers shared during former President Goodluck Jonathan were not given to some of us after the money was deducted from our salaries.
As members of the Corps cooperative scheme from inception, many of us have not gotten our dividend for many years. The last payment was in 2008.
Promotions were not given as at when due so much that so many of us spent 13 to 15 years on a particular rank and retired on it reason adduced for this misnomer was lack of vacancies. Federal Road Safety Commission knew there were no vacancies still subjected staff to go for promotion exams without paying a kobo to staff and did not care whether it was exposing staff to hazards on the highways.
The resultant effect of stagnating a staff in one rank for a period of 13 to 15 years and promoting a junior staff above officers who were once their senior has created a breeding ground for indiscipline within the Corps and is calling for a check within the system by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Having borne all the maltreatment and misnomer above during our service years, why should it continue to our retirement? We have served our country diligently we do not deserve to be treated otherwise. We do not need our next of kins to inherit our disengagement allowances as we have left them with substantial inheritance and property and adequately educating them so they would fend for themselves.
Federal Road Safety Commission should pay us (retirees) our disengagement allowance and other allowances. We are Nigerians and federal government workers.
Mr President sir, please prevail on Federal Road Safety Corps management to pay us (retirees) our disengagement allowance and other allowances being withheld from the time of assumption of duty till our retirement.

Eje writes from Kaduna

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