GOVERNMENT OF IMO STATE
PRESS RELEASE
Uzodimma
Reiterates Commitment to Payment of Pensioners in Imo
·
AS NLC Dissociates
itself from Pension Protest, Warns against Sabotage
Imo State Governor, Distinguished Senator
Hope Uzodimma has reiterated his commitment to the payment of pensioners in the
state.
The Governor did on Tuesday when a group
under the auspices of Imo Pensioners Association led a peaceful protest to the
Government House, Owerri, to appeal to Governor Uzodimma to fast-track the
processes he has put in place to clear the backlog of pensions being owed them.
Represented by the Secretary to the
Government of Imo State, Chief Cosmas Iwu, Governor Uzodimma reminded the
retirees that the delay in the payment of their pensions was majorly due to
discrepancies in their names and challenges relating to payment vouchers.
Governor Uzodimma said discrepancies were discovered
in the pension’s payroll system inherited by the current administration. “Some
pensioners names appeared twice with different amount of money and even BVN
numbers.”
He promised that the solution to the problem
is almost completed and urged the pensioner to exercise a little more patience
so that the problem can be solved once and for all.
He appealed to them not to be too aggrieved
against the government as the temporary delay is to put things straight and
ensure that the right persons get what belongs to them.
The Governor regretted that the process of
cleaning up the mess in the State pension payment has lingered unexpectedly,
but assured that he was not resting in his oars to ensure that he puts smile on
the faces of the pensioners.
Governor Uzodimma thanked them for the
peaceful protest and for exhibiting maturity and elderly disposition for which
they are known. He prayed for all of them to be alive to continue in their
fatherly and motherly advice to the
State.
Earlier, Leader of the pension association,
Comrade Iyke Ohaneje read out a catalogue of the challenges the members have
been having as a result of the delay in the payment.
He said they chose the option of the peaceful
protest having written several letters to the authorities on the need to invite
them for negotiation and clarification on what is actually delaying the payment
of their pensions.
Comrade Ohaneje said they were not
necessarily moving round Owerri to be paid their pensions, but “to beg for food
and money which they hope to use in helping the poorest of the poor among them.”
He pleaded with the government to urgently
come to their rescue as many of them have become vulnerable as a result of lack
of money to attend to their basic needs.
He said 49 of their members have died in the
past four months, saying the situation is actually pathetic and disheartening.
He appealed to government to see reason to pay them.
Meanwhile, the Imo State President of
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Austin Chilakpu, has dissociated the Labour
Union from any protest by pensioners in the State.
In a statement in Owerri Tuesday, Chilakpu
said the NLC has been dialoguing with the State Government on the pension issue
and was aware that there were still a
number of contentious entries on the pension payroll which the government is
sorting out to ensure a comprehensive clean pensioners’ list. He also said the
government has assured Labour that all outstanding pensions will be paid soon.
He said the NLC will soon address the public
on the rot in the pension scheme and appealed to the pensioners to exercise a
little patience because he was sure that the issues will soon be resolved and
outstanding pensions paid.
He however emphasized that the Union was not
in support of protests because the pensioners may unwittingly make themselves
vulnerable for infiltration by those who do not mean well for them, adding that
the protesters did get approval from neither NLC nor the police to embark on
any protests.
Oguwike
Nwachuku
CPS/Media Adviser to Executive Governor of
Imo State
June 23, 2020
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