By Bembe Mathias
The worrisome development of “bounced cheques” in the payment of outstanding pensioners’ allowances has been linked to the death of the leader of the retirees in the state, Comrade Gideon Ezeji
Retirees Chairman, Ezeji, from Umudim Ikeduru LGA died last week as announced by the family. Trumpeta gathered that despite receiving three months cheques, he was unable to clear it before death came calling. Family sources blamed his death on the mental torture he passed through in the struggle for the emancipation of his members, including the inability to access money to fund his medical treatment due to the uncleared cheques government handed to him after verification.
Meanwhile, inquires most of the worried pensioners made about their predicament indicate that the uncleared cheques may not be unconnected to the absence of the Accountant General of the state who was bereaved and forced to be out of job on casual leave.
This newspaper gathered on good authority that majority of the pensioners are faced with bounced cheque treatment at the banks. Few retirees who chose to speak to Trumpeta under strict anonymity for fear of victimization said that inquires indicate that the absence of the AG who lost her husband and was buried recently has to be out of office for contingent reasons may have been responsible for the cheque issue.
Another version the pensioners gave for the delay is a version from a top government official (names withheld) where he was said to have disclosed that the bounced cheques are part of the process to checkmate fraudulent activities.
