By NAN
Chairman of the Association of Retired Staff of Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Mr Godson Okonkwo, has appealed to the State Government to pay their gratuities and arrears of pension.
Okonkwo made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Saturday.
He said government owed the 178 retirees the sum of N210 million.
Okonkwo added that 37 of the retired workers had died without receiving their pension arrears.
“The non-payment of pension arrears had resulted in the death of 37 of our members, while the number of those who are yet to receive the arrears is 141’’, he said.
Okonkwo implored the government to come to their rescue so that they can enjoy the fruits of their labour.
“The government which we served diligently and to the best of our ability before retiring statutorily should do better that this’’, he stressed.
Okonkwo said a committee had recommended that government should assist the ABS to liquidate the debts owed by the station.
He added that the government was also urged to provide the station with necessary support to be on sound financial footing.
Okonkwo said it was wrong for the government to expect the management of the ABS to pay the pension and gratuity of its retirees, contrary to what is obtainable in other states,
He urged the government to pay the arrears of pension and gratuity in order to stop further premature deaths of the retired workers.
The chairman called on the government to provide its broadcast stations with modern, functional and digital equipment and vehicles.
He also appealed to the state government to increase its subvention to the ABS to enable it to pay monthly salaries and pension and to extend the bonus paid to retirees in ministries to ABS retirees.
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