Retired Permanent Secretaries in Abia State have demanded payment of their one-year entitlement which they claim had been approved by Governor Alex Otti.

The affected 30 retired former top civil servants renewed their appeal for the payment at a press conference in Umuahia.
The 30 retired perm secs, who faulted their forceful retirement, said they have taken several measures for the government to pay them their benefits but to no avail.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Nkwachukwu Agomoh said the government’s silence on their matter has left them devastated financially and emotionally.

He said since their retirement, except for their meagre monthly pensions, no allowances have been paid, hence their appeal to the governor to come to their aid by directing the state’s Accountant General to effect immediate payment.

He said: “Our applications and expectations are clear to the effect that we should be paid all due entitlements without further delay. This has left us grappling with uncertainties of the future, which has become very urgent and pressing to bring to light our plight since October 2023, when our services in the state’s civil service were abruptly cut short.

“It can be recalled that when such an issue was asked the governor during one of his monthly media chats, he reacted that he had given the necessary approvals, implying that if there were delays in effecting them, the delay could be due to verification and or computation of the claims.