Pensions: Court Says Retirees Above 60 Entitled to 50% Lump Sum

…Court declares paying 25 percent lump sum payment to retiree above 50yrs by Pensions Administrator illegal.

Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi of National Industrial Court, Abuja has said retiree Mr Maroof Giwa is entitled to at least 50% pensions lump sum.

The Court said this is considering his age which is above 60 years, and the life expectancy of a male Nigerian as projected by WHO, and therefore ordered Arm Pension Managers to pay within 14 days.

The Court held that 25% lump sum calculated by the Arm Pension Managers as claimant’s pension is unlawful that the said withdrawal as clearly stated in the Pension Reform Act is in respect of a retiree who voluntarily retired at age 50 and not applicable to Maroof.

From facts, the claimant- Maroof Giwa had submitted that he approached Arm Pension Managers to apply for pension and withdrawal benefits but the PFA offered to pay 25% of his total retirement savings which he rejected and demanded 50% of the total sum.

The claimant claimed that the computation of the lump sum/benefits by the defendant done on the basis 25% not known to the law that he cannot be treated like a retiree who retired voluntarily that he’s 60 years and above and would want to withdraw 50% or 75% of his total pension.

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In defence, the 1st defendant- Arm Pension Managers submitted that claimant has no right and his statement of fact discloses no reasonable cause of action against it, averred that the claimant is not entitled to any claims.

Learned 1st defendant’s counsel M. Abdulraheem Esq submitted that the template as provided by the 2nd defendant-National Pensions Commission only guarantees a minimum 25% lump sum payable and receiving a higher percentage lump sum (to the maximum of 50%) is dependent on several variables.

He submitted that to allow the claimant argument as per his claims will amount to tinkering with an Act of the National Assembly and it will allow not only the claimant but any other RSA holder determine what should be paid to him or her thereby usurping the powers of the 2nd defendant as stipulated by law that the withdrawal of lump sum is an option predicated on the condition that the residue in the RSA would be sufficient to procure funds withdrawals or annuity.

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National Pensions Commission Counsel E.O Awa Esq. with C.C Odega Esq. argued that the Act did not make provision for a lump sum of 50%, 65%, 75% or 25% except 25% lump sum on request to any employee that retires before the age of 50 years or disengages from employment.

Delivering Judgment, the presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Oyewumi held that the age category of the claimant 60 years and above was not in the contemplation of Section 7(2) of the Act that specifically made provision for a 50-year-old retiree to withdraw 25% lump sum.

“This in view of the unambiguous provision of Section 7(1) of the Act, which entitles the claimant to utilize the amount credited to his RSA account by the withdrawal of a lump sum from the total amount credited to his account. The only proviso here is that the balance after the withdrawal of the lump sum shall be enough to procure annuity for life for the retiree.

“A community reading of Section 173 of the Constitution, Section 7(1) of the Act as well as clauses 4.0 and 5.1.1 of the regulation, clearly evinces that there is no specific amount or percentage stipulated as a lump sum that a retiree of claimant’s age(60 years and above) can withdraw.

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“Secondly, the amount to be withdrawn by a retiree of claimant’s age is to be calculated in view of his life expectancy, his right to his pension shall not be altered or withheld to his disadvantage and finally the quarterly withdrawal has to be at his discretion, i.e. he has to opt for it and not at the whims and caprices of the 1st defendant to determine what and how he could withdraw same.

“The W.H.O in 2018, puts the life expectancy of a male Nigerian at 54.7 years, which is approximate to 55 years. This said, the claimant, in this case, has lived beyond the projection of W.H.O. of a life expectancy of a male Nigerian. This in my view displays the inadequacy of man and human frailty, in other words, no one can actually determine when a man will die, except his maker.