Imo State pensioners bring Owerri to a standstill protesting arrears of up to 71 months

PENSIONERS brought economic activities to a standstill in the Imo State capital Owerri yesterday when they took to the streets to protest the non-payment of their arrears which in some cases dates back to 71 months.

 

Like most of Nigeria's states, Imo owes salary and pension arrears and die to the fall in the price of crude oil and the subsequent reduction in federal allocations, governors are powerless to do anything about the situation. Yesterday morning, thousands of Imo State aged retirees defied the early morning downpour to protest against the non-payment of their pensions.

 

Their action caused gridlock on all major streets and roads, especially in Owerri, as they claimed the state government owed them allowances ranging from 13 to 71 months. These pensioners, whose pitiable sight attracted the sympathy of passersby, defied all entreaties from security operatives to vacate the roads, especially the one leading to Government House.

 

Chief Gideon Ezeji, the Imo State chairman of the National Union of Pensioners, noted that the Governor Rochas Okorocha-led administration had not only abandoned pensioners but also turned them to beggars. He explained that the state had refused to harmonise pensions based on the federal government pension award of 6%  in 2003, 15% in 2007 and 33% in 2011.

 

“Today, civil pensioners are owed 13 to 16 months as at May, 2016, local government pensioners, 14 to 17 months, retired primary school teachers 23 to 26 months, Imo Broadcasting Corporation pensioners 36 months and Alvan Ikoku College of Education’s pensioners  68 to 71 months. It is indeed outrageous, how senior citizens are treated in the state today.

 

 “We are protesting to refute the claim of the governor that he has cleared 12 years of pension arrears. We categorically state that the governor only paid civil service pensioners three months in July 2011." Chef Ezeji added.

 

He added that they were also protesting the refusal of the state government to pay retired primary school teachers 17 months’ arrears. Chief Ezeji added that if other southeast states, such Anambra, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi without oil revenue are paying their senior citizens, the governor of Imo State should follow suit.

 

Chief Vitalis Ajumbe, the Imo State commissioner for internal resources and pension matters, promised that the state would commence the payment of allowances immediately after the ongoing verification exercise. It is believed that the need to verify genuine pensioners has added to the payment delay.