By Peter Uzoma
Prior to this period, the State Governor, Owelle had boasted at different for a that he was going to pay pensioners in the State all the arrears owed them in trauches of three months each that would bring them at par with their colleagues still in service.
The not well planned payment exercise started on a faulty foundation until the operators of the exercise found their feet and started paying pensioners on local government basis, an exercise that has lasted months before the governors fifty-fifth birthday bash.
No sooner had the birthday euphoria died down than the payment exercise commenced. The State radio house went awash with announcements that the retired permanent secretaries and judiciary staff would be paid their pension. The payment platform at needs Banquet Hall was a “wash”.
At the end of the day they were issued with First Bank cheques but to their chagrin they smiled to the banks only to discover that they were issued bounced cheques which has not matured since last Monday. A retired permanent secretary who spoke to Trumpeta on condition of anonymity cursed the day he cast his votes for Owelle Okorocha”, this man is heartless, how can he give us bounced cheques, this man is wicked”.
The man said since last Monday he got the cheque, it has not been possible cashing it because the Bank officials said it is not funded.
Last Wednesday, the IBC pensioners and non-indigenes pensioners converged on the Imo International Conference Center, Owerri, to collect their cheques. The very fragile looking pensioners were expecting something good but were dismayed when they got their various cheques which to their surprise were post dated.
An old women who worked in the state as a non indigene said she was expecting close to a hundred and twenty-two thousand naira but was shocked to behold one hundred and ten thousand naira and some fractions. The woman who was near crying aloud was heard lamenting, “Rochas, you are wicked, what did we do to you, is it now an offence to serve.
Trumpeta investigation revealed that the cheques issued on 24/10/2017 bore the date 31/10/2017. Again, it was observed that some allowances which make the pensioners take home “thick” were deducted thus leaving many with paltry sum. A retired teacher from Mbaitoli told this paper that about three hundred of them were yet to collect cheques because they were told that Mbaitoli cheques had been exhausted. They are yet to be issued cheques.
Meanwhile, some pensioners who visited the banks last (Wednesday) were disappointed as they were told that the cheques were not funded. However, the Governor, Owelle Okorocha, before now had boasted clearing all the arrears but the way things stand the clearance is doubtful.
Meanwhile, after waiting for months before Imo State Government, led by Gov Rochas Okorocha decided to pay them three months out of over sixteen months arrears, pensioners of Imo State Civil Service have raised alarm over sundry deductions from their pay.
According to some of the pensioners who spoke to Trumpeta, the Imo State Government decided to pay them only three months.
However, while some of the cheques could not cash in the Bank, those of the pensioners who were lucky enough for Banks to honour their cheques, to discovered to their shock that the sum of Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000) was deducted from each month payment, for what the officials called “Transport money”.
The situation baffled the senior citizens who complained endlessly, but had no alternative than to go home with whatever remained of the payment, since many of them could not even cash their cheques which “Bounced” at the Banks.
When Trumpeta enquired from one of the officials the reason for deducting N10,000 from the pensioners pay, he said this Newspaper should go and “Ask Government House”
