Enugu- Pensioners in Enugu have lamented the non-payment of their 93 months pension by the state government in spite of government promise to clear the debt.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Enugu chapter, Comrade Damian Udeani stated this during Pensioners’ celebration Day on Thursday in Enugu.
In his welcome address, Udeani said that it was unfortunate that pensioners in Enugu State Broadcasting Service had been suffering for over 93 months without receiving their pension on retirement.
He said that retired primary school teachers were not left out in the plight as 27 months of their monthly pension had not been paid to them.
“Retirees from 2010 to date are yet to receive their gratuities and since 2013, three pension increases were made. They are 6.5 per cent, 15 per cent, and 33 per cent respectively, which is in line with the Nigerian Constitution.
“Despite these increases, Enugu pensioners were not paid, even when we are the least paid pensioners in Nigeria,’’ he said.
He called on the state government to clear all the arrears owed pensioners to ensure that no pensioner died without receiving his or her due benefits.
Udeani advised government to take care of the needs of the elderly by providing free medical care for people above 70 years.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the office of the State Head of Service, Mr Emma Agbo said that the state government was feeling their plights.
“Government has started processing the retirees’ documents to pay the pensioners, especially those from state parastatals without any delay.
“I want to assure you that there will be a difference. It is not going to be business as usual irrespective of where they have worked in the state because the present government will definitely clear all the arrears before leaving office in 2015,’’ he said.
The state Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Chumaife Nze appealed to the state government to give priority to issues that concerned pensioners as they had used their youthful age to serve the state and should not be neglected.
“We are calling on well-meaning Nigerians to help to see that Enugu State government pay what is due to our senior citizens in the parastatals as they have paid the civil servants,” he said.
Some pensioners attributed government’s inability to pay them to corruption.
In his reaction, one of the pensioners from Enugu State Broadcasting Service, Mr Ezike Amadi said they had written several letters to the state government requesting that their pension be paid.
“Despite various letters written to the government to pay us our 93 months pension arrears, all was to no avail, and what we have resolve after now is to protest by going to the government in persons so that they will know we are serious,” Amadi said.
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