Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Respite may have finally come the way of Abia pensioners following the promise by Governor Alex Otti to revisit the controversial pension arrears payment.
Trouble started after Otti, last year, in keeping with his campaign promise, decided to defray the backlog of pension arrears owed retirees by his predecessors.
Shortly after the payments were made, the leadership of the Abia State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), disowned the Memorandum of Agreement, MoA, it earlier signed with Government, claiming it never agreed to forfeit gratuities of pensioners.
The leadership also said it signed the MoA under duress, and insisted that Government should pay gratuities of pensioners.
But Otti accused the opposition of inciting the leadership of pensioners to blackmail his administration.
Although Otti’s administration has continued to pay pensioners along with workers in active service on the 28th of every month, NUP has been pleading that the Governor should reconsider.
Eminent personalities have equally been persuading the Governor to take a second look at the controversy surrounding the MoA.
Otti finally bowed to pressure while responding to a passionate appeal by the Chaplain of the Federal Medical Centre Chapel, Umuahia, Rev. Ernest Onyeukwu during his sermon at the 80th birthday thanksgiving service of Senator Chris Adighije.
The birthday ceremony was organised by Gov. Otti in honour of the elder statesman.
Otti said he was happy that the man of God understood and narrated the actual thing that transpired between the Government and the leadership of the NUP.
He insisted that the pensioners are honest people “but their leadership is the problem.”
“I want to thank you (the priest) for the positive comments that you made about the government. Thank you for calling our attention to the issue of pension that had become problematic and I want to thank you for being honest and that is what it is.
“You can’t agree on something and then, you come to say that you didn’t agree. You can’t sign and say you signed under duress, particularly for our senior citizens.
“I have maintained that our senior citizens and pensioners are very honest people, very very honest. The problem is with their leadership and the problem of the leadership has to do with their association,” Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti, who said that the preacher was correct in saying that no pension was paid in Abia State in 2018, said he deployed N10 billon to clear pension arrears owed by his predecessors.
“When you said nobody was paid pension in 2018, you are very correct. Not one dime was paid but the leadership of the NUP was part of the reason nobody was paid.
“So, even when they were going into an agreement with me, they probably didn’t believe that payment will be made. And when I made the payment, they now went round to say that they didn’t sign. So, that angered me but because you (Rev. Onyeukwu) have said it, I will have a second look at it.
“Since they talk to you, you should also tell them to mind who their friends are. Somebody owed you for over ten years, didn’t pay you and somebody comes and brings N10 billion and puts on the table and pays you, and tomorrow, that person that owed you comes out to speak for you, you can see that something is wrong. So, please tell them to mind who their friends are,” Otti instructed.
The Governor later inaugurated Senator Chris Adighije Health Insurance Complex (SCAHIC BUILDING), a complex named after Senator Chris Adighije by the Board and Management of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.
He commended the Board and Management of the FMC for honouring Senator Adighije and described him as a very good man, who is worth celebrating.
Earlier while presenting the complex to the Governor, the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Prof. Azubuike Onyebuchi noted that the institution decided to honour Senator Adighije at his 80th birthday in that manner as a way of appreciating the role he played during his tenure as the Chairman of the FMC Board.
The thanksgiving ceremony and reception was attended by eminent Nigerians Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; former Gov. Chris Ngige of Anambra State; and Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Others were Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; two former Senate Presidents, Senator David Mark, and Senator Adolphus Wabara; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika (Rtd) and Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, among others.
