A group of pensioners in Abia State has made a passionate plea to Governor Alex Otti, asking him to address outstanding pension and gratuity payments that they claim remain unpaid.
The Abia Pensioners’ Forum, a pressure group within the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), voiced their concerns in Umuahia on Wednesday.
The Coordinator of the group, Mr. Okey Kanu, spoke to journalists about the governor’s assertion that his administration had settled all pension arrears inherited from former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s tenure.
Kanu challenged this claim and urged Otti to pay the remaining balance of their pension arrears and gratuity.
“Our members have been struggling with unpaid pension arrears for years,” Kanu said. “Before the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed, many of us were owed up to 60 months of pension.
“The last payment of gratuity was in 2002. We commend Governor Otti for regularly paying our monthly pensions since April, but we need him to fulfill the remaining part of the agreement.”
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Governor Otti announced in April that his administration had cleared all pension arrears owed to at least 12,500 pensioners, dating back to 2014.
Otti revealed that over ₦9 billion had been spent from a ₦10 billion fund set aside to settle these arrears.
Despite these claims, Kanu insists that there are still outstanding amounts due.
He has requested that the state government pay the remaining benefits in installments if a lump-sum payment is not feasible.
The controversy centers around an MOA signed between the state government and NUP officials.
According to Kanu, this agreement involved the forfeiture of certain pension and gratuity arrears, a condition he argues was not part of the original negotiations.
He claims that the MOA has not been made available to pensioners, leaving many in the dark about the specifics of the agreement.
Kanu criticized the decision to include the forfeiture of gratuity in the MOA, arguing that such a measure was beyond the authority of the NUP officers who signed it.
He emphasized that pension and gratuity arrears are statutory entitlements that should not be subject to negotiation or forfeiture.
“The issue of gratuity was never part of the discussions,” Kanu stated. “We believe the MOA that included forfeiting our gratuity was not properly authorized and should not be binding on us.
“Our gratuity is essentially our savings from years of service and should be paid immediately upon retirement.”
Kanu also highlighted that the state NUP officials had written two letters to the government requesting a meeting to clarify ambiguities in the MOA, particularly concerning the gratuity issue.
He described these unresolved matters as “gray areas” that need to be addressed.
“It is unacceptable to negotiate with vulnerable pensioners who have been deprived and struggling for years,” Kanu added.
“Our pension and gratuity are not negotiable; they are our legitimate entitlements.”
The appeal by the Abia Pensioners’ Forum reflects broader concerns among retired civil servants in Nigeria, who often face delays and inconsistencies in receiving their pension benefits.
The situation in Abia underscores the challenges faced by pensioners across the country in securing their rightful payments.
Governor Otti’s administration has been praised for its commitment to development and infrastructure projects in the state.
However, the lingering issue of unpaid pension benefits has cast a shadow over these achievements.
The pensioners’ plea is a reminder of the importance of ensuring that financial commitments to retirees are honored promptly and transparently.
In response to the ongoing issue, Kanu and the pensioners are calling for urgent action from the state government to resolve the matter.
They are urging Governor Otti to prioritize the payment of their outstanding benefits to provide relief to those who have been waiting for years.
The resolution of this issue is crucial for maintaining trust and ensuring that retirees receive the financial support they have earned through years of service.
