Stop treating us as beggars, pensioners tell Abia

Pensioners in Abia State have told the state government to stop 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.

Agbazuere however blamed pensioners for making their agitations a media affair when they had not explored the necessary options for dialogue.”