…Say gratuities non-negotiable
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Pensioners in Abia State, Wednesday, rejected the agreement purportedly reached by the State leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, and the State Government on the conditions for the payment of accumulated pension arrears recently paid by the Alex Otti-led administration.
Disowning the document, pensioners urged the Governor to rescind the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), he “purportedly signed” with NUP, which made pensioners to forfeit part of their pension arrears and gratuities.
Speaking under the aegis of Abia Pensioners’ Forum, the pensioners claimed they were not carried along during the purported deal.
Addressing a press conference in Umuahia, Coordinator of the group, Okey Kanu, insisted that Government must pay pensioners their gratuities and full arrears of pension.
The text of the press conference was jointly signed by other members of the steering committee comprising: Emmanuel Onyenyiri, Okay Ohaeri, Zimiro Nwokocha, Emmanuel Chigbu, Godfirst Umejiaku, and V. O Gbaruko.
According to them, pensioners were underpaid during the purported clearance of pension arrears.
They argued that it was better Otti did not pay all the arrears and allow his predecessor to pay them instead of asking them to forfeit their legitimate entitlements for whatever reason.
The statement read: “It was totally unfathomable how the State Government arrived at the figures it paid to each pensioner as arrears. It was a situation whereby the more one expectéd, the lesser he got.
“How does one explain a situation where those who retired on the same Grade Level got amounts diametrically different? Indeed, what most pensioners got was exactly the arrears accumulated by the present administration from the time it started paying half monthly pension.
“It was in the course of inquiries as to what led to what that the issue of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the State Government and NUP, Abia State officials surfaced. According to this Agreement, the State Government should pay only a part of the arrears, while the balance will be forfeited by pensioners.
“The last straw that broke the camel’s back was when we learnt that our gratuity was also forfeited to the State Government in this MoA. Consequent, on these backdrops, we, instead of rejoicing, ‘were thrown into mourning. We wept bitterly, raising our hands to God for intervention on our behalf as it was unfathomable how we could lose the fruits of our labour, especially after 35 years of service or 60 years of age (whichever came earlier), This development till date adversely affected the already. precarious health conditions of many pensioners.
“More disturbing is that there was no template or parameters published by the State Government as used in the computation of the arrears. Pensioners were paid what suited those who computed the figures. It explains why pensioners who retired on the same Grade Level and on the same date received different amounts.
“Many pensioners. did not receive a Kobo beyond the arrears accumulated by the present administration when it paid half monthly pension from June, 2023 to March, 2024.”
The group accused both Government and NUP leadership of shrouding the purported MoA in secrecy, adding that the Governor never attached any conditions during his campaigns when he promised to clear pension arrears if elected.
“The Governor never predicated that fulfilment of that promise on the signing of any agreement with pensioners, and with a clause to waive the arrears (or part of it thereof), including gratuity as a condition precedent for doing so. Signing such agreement to forfeit a legitimate and statutory entitlement has not happened anywhere in the history of the world.”
“Why would Government negotiate with very vulnerable pensioners who were deprived and famished over the years, and desperately needed a life line to survive?”
Th pensioners pleaded with Gov. Otti to reinstate their unpaid pension arrears and gratuities, and pass on same to successive administration(s) if he finds it too heavy to pay.
They urged the Governor who recently agreed to offset the N18 billion debt owed staff of various institutions by previous administration in 12 installments, to extend similar gesture to pensioners by paying them in bits instead of asking them to forgo their entitlements.
“His Excellency’s revisitation and reconsideration of the said MOA will not be a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength, understanding, empathy and godliness.
“Pensioners are on their knees pleading that even if His Excellency’s administration decides not to make any further payments on the arrears, pensioners shall still appreciate the one he had already paid to pensioners while the balance remains debt for future administration(s).”
The group noted that Gov. Otti “has made huge positive difference in the governance of Abia as well as in the regularisation of monthly pension,” assuring him of their continued support , saying they “do not want to go back to Egypt or the locust years.”
The pensioners who said they had written to prominent Abians and stakeholders that have the ear of the Governor including the Labour Party Leader, Peter Obi, for possible intervention, pleaded with the Governor to listen to their cries.
When contacted, Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said Government deserved appreciation and not blackmail for deciding to clear the debt owed by its predecessors.
The Commissioner argued that Government was faithful to keep its part of the agreement negotiated with NUP leadership.
He declared that the payment was “full and final,” adding, however, that Government is still open to further engagements with pensioners.
“There is NUP and Concerned Abia Pensioners. They are the people interfacing with Government. NUP midwifed the agreement with Government and Government has fulfilled its part of the agreement by paying about N10 billion to pensioners.
“Whatever was paid was full and final payment of their pension arrears which they negotiated. Some of them were owed for 40 months.”
“Part of the agreement was that government would be paying them 100% of their pension every month and Government has also kept that since April.
“It will be wrong for this group to try to arm-twist or blackmail Government. If PDP had come back to power, do you think that this arrears would have been paid? But this Government put money in their hands. Some got up to N8 million. They were handsomely paid.”
