Tunji Adedeji
Pensioners and civil servants in Imo State are groaning over unpaid pensions and salaries by the state government, a situation which has put many of them in tight corner.
While majority of the state pensioners and workers were paid up to February 2020 and currently being owed arrears of about one month – February to March – other categories of workers, especially those in various parameters are yet to receive February salary irrespective of the governor’s locked down order .
Trumpeta gathered that the state workforce including the health workers and those working at various parastatals like ADP received their February Salary last week of March, 2020 with terrible 40% deductions.
An Old Pensioner (name withheld) who was close to tears while narrating her ordeal at the Pension House yesterday told Trumpeta that life has not been easy since she has been unable to receive pension coupled with the sit at home order. She said they old citizens need prayers and support no matter how little, especially in this period everyone is asked to stay indoors without any palliative measure.”
According to her, “it’s unfortunate that this period when everyone is asked to stay indoors without any palliative measure, the senior citizens who were supposed to be on the first line charge in payment of pensions are relegated to the background. Today is 8 April, and our Governor Hope Uzodinma is not making any frantic effort to pay us.”
She said,”I thought we were out of this era but unfortunately we are in it again. When Emeka Ihedioha finished the verification of Pensioners in the State, we began to receive our pensions on or before 3rd of a New Months. “
Another pensioner, Comr Fabian Abgwa Chairman Retired Permanent Secretary Imo State, during a radio program at the Ozisa radio program titled “we are the people “yesterday said it’s unbelievable that Imo is on locked down and Pensioners are yet to be paid their entitlement.
According to him, “Delaying pension is an unconstitutional act and any responsible and reasonable government would not indulge in that.
The most saddened thing is that I heard that Imo State Government is looking for consultant to conduct another round of screening and my advice to Gov Hope
Uzodinma is that this Govt should discard this idea because it’s a waste of resources, it’s irresponsible and creates more confusion.”
He said the state government should stop using consultant to conduct any form of pension verification exercise, adding that statutory right to pay Pensioners falls under the purview of the state Accountant General.
The Chairman Retired Permanent Secretary explained that last administration claimed they discovered 8000 ghost pensioners and nobody was probed, saying it’s a shame that a government discovered this anomaly without probing anyone and the current administration is planning to embark on another round of screening exercise.
