Pensioners in Abia troop out to protest non payment of monthly pensions and gratuities.
By Benjamin Kalu, Umuahia
The Abia State Pensioners today, during their peaceful protest, appealed to the Governor of the state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu for his quick intervention, towards the non payment of their Pensions and Gratuities, which has accumulated into huge arrears.
The state Pensioners, while making the appeal, called on Dr Okezie Ikpeazu to quickly intervene now, and help them receive their accumulated pensions and gratuities.
The Concerned Abia State Pensioners coordinator, chief Emeka Okezie who retired as a principal of a secondary school in the State said that, they just decide to come out this time around, because it has taken long and there are so many unpaid monthly pensions. Saying that they have come out today, to plead with Government of Abia state to please help them now as they are now dying in great numbers on daily basis.
He said that the annoying part of it, is the slashing of the little monthly stipends into 3 and again it is not coming regularly. That the whole of 2018 pensions was not paid to them, no any payment of pension in 2019, non was paid in 2020, and also in 2021 only 3 months was paid. This year 2022, they are only giving us peanut. He said that is the reason, why they have decided to come out to plead with the Government of Abia State to rethink, and intervene in their situation as they are now diying in numbers on daily basis.
In addition, a retired Director of primary schools in the state ministry of education Elder Kalu Irobinso lamented over the slashing of their pensions. In his words,” my pension had been slashed from 150,000 Naira as a director to 50,000 Naira and since last year August, I have not received anything again till today. I have family members, that I am taking care of, My children are in schools and I can not pay their school fees and can not cater for them any longer. And we need some thing to be done, unless, they want all of us to die in Abia State under the leadership of Okezie Ikpeazu. Okezia should pay us our money, to enable us cater for our families now “.
The Pensioners who came out in their numbers were demanding for the payment of their pension arrears of about 38 months, and gratuity arrears of over 20years, describing the administration of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, as a heartless one.
Let the Government of Okezie Ikpeazu pay us our pensions, and our gratuities, and let it be full and regular from now on, unless he wants all of them to die, so that he can live alone.
