Pensioners protest, demand unpaid allowances in Umuahia

Pensioners, under the aegis of ‘Concerned Abia State Pensioners Association, yesterday, protested in the streets of Umuahia, the state capital, to demand payment of their outstanding pensions from the state government.

They pleaded with the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to consider their plight after rendering meritorious services to the state, lamenting that they have been left to die on daily basis.

Some of the inscriptions on the banners they displayed during the protest read:

“Concerned Abia pensioners in a peaceful statewide protest for non- payment of 20 years gratuity from 2002 to 2022; 38 months arrears of monthly pension; no harmonisation of pension for 20 years now.”

Coordinator of the pensioners, Emeka Okezie, said: “We are disappointed that despite the monthly federal allocations and Internally Generated Revenue, which the state collects, we are not paid our pensions.” He added that even the 50 per cent monthly payment, which the state government promised, has not been regular.

“We plead with members of the public to help persuade the government to pay us. After our last protest in March this year, we slowed down on our protests, expecting the state government to change its attitude towards us, but there has not been any significant change. We are dying daily; five died two days ago at the Federal Medical Center Umuahia, and many of our more than 3000 members have become too weak to join in the road protests.”

No government official was successfully contacted to react to the protest, but the state governor, Ikpeazu, recently promised to clear all outstanding salaries and pensions before the end of his tenure in May 2023.