treating them as beggars by not paying their monthly pensions
regularly and consequently issued an altimatum to government to
clear all arrears by January 31, 2015 or face the wrath of senior
citizens.
Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Abia State chapter,
Comrade Chukwuma Udensi, who issued the ultimatum Tuesday at
a press conference in Umuahia , said pensioners decided to make
public their plights having endured much deprivations without any
succour from government.
He lamented that pensioners in the state had no hope of
celebrating the Christmas due to unpaid stipends, accusing the
state’s Head of Service of insensitivity to the plights of pensioners.
His words: ” We are here to alert the public of the plights of Abia
pensioners to see if they can help us make government look our
way because we have explored the option of dialogue but it fell on
deaf ears.”
” Pensioners are unfortunately subjected to begging for their
rights, many of them have died out of abject poverty, neglect and
frustration.”
He said, “pension is not a privilege but the right of a retiree ;
pension is not salary but the savings kept for workers upon
retirement.”
Udensi identified some of their grievances to include: unpaid
gratuities accumulated over the years since 1999; non payment of
harmonization arrears arising from 30%,150%, and 142% which
have been computed since 2004, and delayed pay of retired
Primary School Teachers and non- tutorial staff of local
government education authorities.
“Monthly pensions have been allowed to fall in arrears from
January 2014 till date.
“Monthly pensions have not been fully paid not to talk of arrears
owed since 2012.” The NUP boss also alleged that the union was
also being owed its check-off dues deducted from pensioners’
monthly stipends for the up-keep of the union.
But in a swift reaction, the state’s Commissioner for Information,
Chief Anthony Agbazuere debunked claims by pensioners that they
were being owed, dismissing their action as politically motivated.
Agbazuere noted that during political seasons, some people not
grounded with the truth always ally with politicians to spread
falsehood.
He said that pensioners as well as all workers in the state had
been enjoying the best of treatments from the government, adding
that upon assumption of office, Gov. Theodore Orji mapped out
large chunk of money for payment of pensioners.
a media affair when they had not explored the necessary options
for dialogue.”
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