November 22, 2024
By Samuel Ogunsona
Pensioners in Abia State have taken another approach to get their unpaid gratuities and pension arrears.
They recently concluded a three-day prayer and fasting session, seeking divine intervention to get Governor Alex Otti to honor his election promises.
Under the umbrella of the Abia Pensioners’ Forum, the pensioners, led by Okey Kanu, asked God to prevail on Otti to restore and pay their arrears of pension and gratuity as promised during his campaigns in 2015, 2019, and 2023.
Kanu explained that the prayer session was a way of “seeking the intervention of Jesus Christ” to get the Governor to fulfill his promises. He also expressed disappointment that the current administration had purportedly waived or forfeited their pension arrears and gratuities.
The pensioners believe that the Governor is being misled by wrong advice and are pleading with him to revisit and rescind the decision.
He said, “On coming into office, this administration purported to have waived or forfeited the said arrears of pension and gratuity, sequel to the illegal memorandum of agreement it purportedly signed with the state NUP exco.
“We believe that our governor is toeing the current line based on wrong advice; hence our continued plea that he should revisit and rescind the same.
“It is a mark of godliness and strength rather than weakness. We are encouraged to agitate for this because this is our government, as pensioners, their families and indeed all Abians sympathetic to our plight played a major role in bringing it to being.
“Our grievance stems from the government’s position that we waived or forfeited these retirement benefits sequel to the said Memorandum of Agreement.
“But at the same time, the government has refused to comply with Paragraph 7(a) of the agreement which stipulates that in case of any dispute arising from the agreement, the parties shall meet to resolve the same by mutual negotiation.
“The government has refused to convene a meeting in this regard.”
He said the meeting was particularly necessary because the state Nigeria Union of Pensioners executive had denied entering into any agreement with the government to forfeit pension arrears and, especially, gratuities.
“The strange position adopted by the government as revealed by the governor during his last media chat on 7/11/2024 is that before the agreement can be revisited, the state NUP must return the money paid to them.
“This pronouncement is vague because it is unclear if the government meant the arrears accumulated by the present administration as paid in March 2024 or any other money paid to the state NUP Exco.
“If the former, it is misconceived because what was paid to pensioners in March 2024 was the arrears owed them as accumulated by the present administration.
“The greater part of the arrears remain untouched; hence our agitation for the same to be paid.
“However, if the latter is the position, then the payment is illegal as it is construed to be a bribe in which case the giver and receiver are liable. This does not in any way concern pensioners,” Kanu said.
However, the pensioners had said they are determined to continue pushing for the payment of their entitlements, using all available means, including spiritual intervention.
