Civil service pensioners under the Joint Committee of Association of Federal Pensioners have demanded the dissolution of the Pension Task Force team set up in 2010 to handle pensions in the country.

Staging a peaceful protest at the premises of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, they said the task force team has created more problems for pensioners than it has solved in three years.

They said a permanent solution to the pension’s discrepancies in the country is to set up a Civilian Pension’s Board as provided in the Pension Reform Act of 2004 and recently recommended by the Senate joint Committee on Administration of Pension Funds in Nigeria.

The elderly and retired-protesters started the day with a news conference where they gathered to lament the non-payment of their entitlements over different periods of time.

Led by their chairman, Mr. James Bassey, their major demands are; payment of their pension and gratuity arrears, benefits owed deceased pensioners for over six years as well as the 53.4 per cent derivative approved by the presidency in 2010.

They also asked for the immediate dissolution of the Pension Task Force team headed by Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina and the establishment of a new pension board so that the Head of Service ceases to handle civil service pensions.

To drive home their demands, they proceeded to stage a protest at the Head of Services’ office which is also the premises of the Pension Task Force team.

Defying the rains, they chanted and raised placards to demand the sack of head of the team and the release of funds for their pensions.

Efforts by Channels Television to reach the Head of Service and the head of the Pension Task Force team proved abortive as the protest caused mild traffic jam at the Federal Secretariat Abuja.