By okey alozie
Governor Rochas Okorocha has warned Imo State Pensioners at all levels that henceforth any pensioner who does not present his Permanent Voters Card (PVC) would not be paid any sum as pension.
Although the pronouncement did not go well with the senior citizens, the governor who realized the resentment of his audience to the statement quickly added that the order would not start immediately.
He was addressing retired state and local government workers yesterday (Wednesday) at the auditorium of the Imo international Conference Centre (IICC) Owerri after the senior citizens had suffered pains while waiting for him to come and flag off the exercise as has been orchestrated on air by a state owned medium. Most of the retirees who had arrived the venue to honour the government’s invitation for the payment of the gratuity were highly disappointed because of the shabby treatment given them.
The pensioners numbering over 2000 came around 10am as the were instructed through government press release but unfortunately IICC entrance door was locked as a result, the old men and women became stranded and at a point some of them started crying but when finally the door was opened, the whole auditorium was jam-packed as people inside were suffocating and sweating because of lack of ventilation there.
Some of the old men and women who have health challenges almost fainted at the hall. While those who became very serious at a point were rushed to Hospital.
Nothing was done by Government officials who were at the venue to help the old men and women and at a point some started going home.
One of the aggrieved senior citizens who managed to speak to Trumpeta under strict anonymity expressed disappointment on the action of Imo Government over the pensioners.
In his words “We came here since morning for our pension money and there is nobody to attend to us. Even to give us water is a problem, moreover there is no light here”, the old man complained.
Trumpeta gathered that Governor Okorocha invited the pensioners to fulfill his promises on pension and gratuity. It was slated that those who submitted their data to the accountant General’s office were slated for payment while others who could fill not their forms got their names omitted.
One of the Government officials who spoke to our reporter but do not want his name to be mentioned revealed that the meeting was for primary school teachers who retired since 1993-2000 and not for all the retired workers. He also disclosed that only those who retired within this period will get their cheques for now. Others slated for payment were those on state pension between 1998-2001 and bulk pension pay deceased workers in 2000
It was further reported that most of the names announced at the Hall were not physically present to collect their money , at a time people started wondering if they are ghost pensioners.
Governor Okorocha recently at the ICC flagged off the payment of accumulated pension and gratuities of the Imo retired workers but due to irregularities as we gathered, the full payments have not been actualized because of power play between the office of the accountant general and that of head of service.
Investigation revealed that the whole thing was politicized as some of the top civil servants want to jump the rope and favour their relatives who did not fall within the stipulated period.
Concerned citizens of the state are now appealing to Governor Rochas Okorocha to shine his eye and not to allow the Accountant General and Head of Service to confuse him on the payment.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Permanent Voters Card (PVC) distribution in Imo has recorded another set back in some communities.
Our reporter who monitored the exercise in Imo said the turn out was low initially but thereafter, the numbers started increasing as hoodlums stormed some centres in Mbaise and snatched voters card from the owners.
Further information revealed that party agents are going round villages and distribution centres to buy voters card from people with the intention to rig 2015 election.
Trumpeta gathered that attempts were made in some distribution centres in Akpodim and other parts of Ezinihitte Mbaise to bribe INEC Registration officers and that people are registering and presenting fake names just to collect many PV Cards in preparation for the upcoming election.
In Okwu Nguru, Aboh Mbaise local government area information has it that a particular party agent (names withheld) for security reasons, was going from House to House collecting peoples PVC for business. The young man as we learnt is an agent to one of the opposition parties.
It was believed that he is working in favour of one of his principals.
The issuance of PVC which commenced last Friday is expected to have entered another phase inline with INEC guidelines and directives.
The second phase as we learnt is the registration of new voters across the state.
Trumpeta investigation revealed that the exercise would have recorded huge success in Imo if not the activities of hoodlums and party agents.
The last days of PV distribution according to our reporter witnessed impressive turn out as the people were so enthusiastic to participate in the exercise. Showing that they were well sensitized on the event.
In some of the collection centre, many people were seen either checking their names pasted on the wall or collecting PVC.
In Ibeku, Umuhu, Amaohuru Obetiti and other communities of Aboh Mbaise LGA of Imo state, people who later came out en-mass gave kudos to INEC on the idea they brought but condemned in strong terms the methods and the activities of its officials.
According to one of the villagers who spoke to Trumpeta the conduct of some of the officials especially the youth corpers is nothing to write home about.
The aggrieved group advised INEC to stop using members of NYSC who are not from the Igbo speaking state to conduct any exercise in the East. They revealed that apart from language barrier there are shady deals they embark on.
