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Economic hardship: Massive contingency withdrawals hit micro pension funds

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At the backdrop of heightened economic hardship subscribers to the micro-pension scheme have began to draw down on their contributions through contingency withdrawals.

The micro-pension plan, MPP, was created by the National Pension Commission to encourage low income group, mainly self employed and informal sector workers, to have a pension savings for their old age.

Financial Vanguard findings from pension data show that the contingent withdrawals by micro pension contributors in 2023 skyrocketed by 245.2 per cent to N21.4 million from N6.2 million recorded in 2022.

Also, the number of contributors that made contingent withdrawals increased by 68.4 per cent to 64 in 2023 from 38 recorded in 2022.

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Contingent withdrawals is that portion of the Retirement Savings Account, RSA, balance made available for withdrawal to ease financial pressures or needs of the micro pension contributor before his/her retirement.

The sharp rise in contingency withdrawals is coming at the backdrop of underperformance being recorded in the low income pension category, with the target enrollments completely off plan.

The scheme, one of the most strategic financial inclusion measures of the Federal Government packaged and implemented by the National Pension Commission, PenCom, had envisaged to enroll about nine million registrants by 2023, however only 114,382 contributors were registered as at end of 2023.

The data also show that total pension contributions to the micro pension stood at N680.2 million as at December 2023.

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Consequently, as the economic hardship continues to bite harder, some micro pension contributors are taking advantage of the contingent withdrawal option of the plan to withdraw from their pension savings.

Meanwhile, quarterly breakdown of the withdrawals in 2023 show that micro pension contributors withdrew N2.98 million in Q1’23.

The figure went up by 3.7 per cent to N3.09 million in Q2’23 and in Q3’23, the figure further increased by 238.5 per cent to N10.46 million, but dropped in Q4’23 to N4.87 million, a 53.4 per cent decline.

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Speaking on the development, Executive Director of the Center for Pension Rights Advocacy, Mr. Ivor Takor, stated that the rise in the withdrawals of pension savings could continue except government fixes the economy for the better.

He said: “The contingency plan is just part of encouragement for the contributors to know that if they are passing through any challenge, they can withdraw from the contingency plan.

“And the economy, like all of us know, is so bad, so the contributors cannot have that money standing there and they are dying of hunger or sickness.

“What the government can do is to fix the economy and do things well so that people will begin to have a meaningful life because even those of us who are working you cannot be having challenges and you have money in your savings account and you will not go for it. It is expected anyway, and the trend could continue. It can only improve and get better when the situation and welfare of citizens is better.”

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Also speaking, Managing Director of Achor Actuarial Services, Mr. Pius Apere stated that the MPP is designed to bring the self employed members of the public into the pension system with a view to safeguarding them from retirement age poverty.

Apere said: “The government must do all within its power to turn the economy around for the better to prevent further withdrawals from pension savings. An average Nigerian must have one form of pension scheme or the order; formal or informal and the micro pension plan can help us to include more Nigerians in the financial safety net. Micro pension can be made a big deal in Nigeria”.

According to the Director-General, PenCom, Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, “The implementation of the micro pension plan will improve the standard of living of the informal sector participants at retirement and reduce dependence on extended family for support at retirement.”

She noted that the self-employed people and workers in the informal sector could reap financial and economic protection by participating in the plan, as the initiative will provide income at old age and inculcate a savings culture through highly protected and regulated investment.

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I Can’t Feed My Family Again; I Make N20,000 Daily But Spend N17,000 On Fuel — Taxi Driver Laments

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Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

A commercial driver identified as Wahab Ajibaye based in Ilorin, Kwara State has expressed frustration over the rising fuel prices, saying it has left him struggling to provide for his family.

Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

He said: “I am buying fuel for N1100 and I make N20,000 (daily) but I take only N3,000 with me to my house (after work). I am the owner of my car but I am no longer making enough to cater to my children and my wife. The All Progressives Congress (APC) government will not end well. Nigeria is becoming worse and we pray God takes away this set of current leaders.”

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Ajibaye blamed the ruling APC government for the hardship faced by Nigerians, saying, “Their government is bringing more suffering. They’re not ashamed, despite many Nigerians cursing them. They should rethink.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had recently agreed that the policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu resulted in growing economic hardships in Nigeria.

The party in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka had said this, while responding to a former national vice chairman (North West) of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

Recall that Lukman had berated the party for bad governance, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have failed to deliver on their campaign promises.

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Lukman, therefore, urged opposition leaders to unite and work hard to defeat the APC-led government in 2027.

But reacting, Morka in a statement on Tuesday argued that President Tinubu was taking bold measures to reset the country’s “long broken economy”, explaining that his reforms had increased economic hardship in the country.

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LASG shuts down Idera market over ‘environmental pollution

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) says it has sealed off the Idera market in the Oshodi metropolis.

In a statement on Thursday, Ajayi Lukman, LAGESC spokesperson, said the agency sealed the market due to unhygienic practices and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which contravened the environmental law of the state.

He said the measure was taken to enforce adherence to environmental cleanliness across registered markets in the state.

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‘‘Our operatives stationed across the Oshodi division during routine market monitoring identified the filth, unhygienic practices, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse around the Idera Market area, which prompted us to seal off the market until further notice,” the statement reads.

Lukman quoted Olaniyi Cole, the corps marshal of the agency, as decrying the level of hygiene at the market, which could lead to an outbreak of diseases.

He said Cole frowned at the inability of the market leadership to provide a valid waste collection contract, which resulted in the heaps of refuse in the facility.

He added that the display of wares for sale on road setbacks, lay-bys, medians, verges, kerbs, street trading, and hawking remained banned in the metropolis.

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The LAGESC corps marshal reiterated the ban on the sales, distribution, and usage of styrofoam in the state, noting that anyone found culpable would be punished decisively.

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Hours to Edo guber polls, major opposition candidate crumbles structure for Ighodalo

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Hours to the Edo State governorship election, the guber candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP)Amb Osalumese Areloegbe on Thursday morning collapsed the structure for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie Esq.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Benin City, Areloegbe said his decision to collapse the structure for the PDP candidate was because he believed that Ighodalo had all it would take to govern the state to greater heights.

According to him, I urged all my followers and supporters to disregard any information that I have aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

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“I am supporting Asue Ighodalo because he is competent, not that I am not competent but I believe Asue is on the forefront. That is my reason for supporting his candidacy.

“My party is aware because they have been having a series of negotiations for us to align with the APC, and I told them categorically that I am supporting PDP. My eighteen local government followers are in full support of my decision, I mean 100 per cent supporting the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie in this election.

“My choice for Asue Ighodalo is because, apart from myself, I see him as the next better candidate that I can support and I can put my weight on because he has the capacity, mentally, physically and otherwise to pilot the affairs of Edo State to greater heights.

“The national secretariat of my party, APP – they are in Abuja and I am in the state, and know much more of what is happening in Edo State. They are not here and don’t know what is going on here in Edo. And I am in a position to tell them what will be better for the Edo people.

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“There is a parable that says, ‘You cannot shave a man’s head when he is not present’. I am here in Edo State and I know who to support and why I am supporting him. The national leadership might have taken a different tone, but this is what I and my followers have chosen.

“We had a series of other politicians who had made such decisions before. That is why I agreed with the support of my supporters to collapse my structure for the governorship candidate of the PDP Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie.”

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