Trumpeta investigations can authoritatively reveal that the joy and euphoria with which Pensioners in the State greeted the outcome of the meeting the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, had with the State leadership of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners(NUP), Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC), Trade Union Congress(TUC) and various top government functionaries, are gradually dying down.
Recall that almost a fortnight ago, news had gone viral quoting the Governor’s promises to commence paying Imo Pensioners their gratuities and pension arrears.
Unfortunately, since the news broke, nothing has happened hence the Pensioners are currently giving the meeting outcome various interpretations because government was yet to come out with any clear cut directives.
Some Pensioners who spoke to Trumpeta, on condition of anonymity, said the viral news was a ploy to ensure a hitch free Workers MAY Day rally in the State. Another said, the pronouncement is a ploy to garner votes from pensioners at the forthcoming guber election in the State.
Another Pensioner averred that if government was serious, it would have announced how it intends to go about the payment.
Another Pensioner, Chief Maurice Amaechi, who boldly introduced himself as Secretary, Imo State Pensioners Intervention Committee (PIC), affirmed that government was poised to pay but added that he is worried how the exercise would be carried out.
According to him, “a worker on retirement fills and leaves behind two vouchers (the one for gratuity, the other for pension) which are usually sent to the Account-General’s office where they are secured and tied numerically for easy identification and authentication while awaiting action.
Chief Amaechi then wondered why the NUP should ask Pensioners to submit their authorization letters, ID cards and verification slips to the AG’s office whereas there are already existing Pensioners’ vouchers there.
He described as pathetic the way Pensioners details are dropped on the floor of the AG’s office without proper documentation thus stressing the already fragile, hungry and frail pensioners.
On the issue of how to pay the living/dead pensioners, the PIC Secretary suggested a verification exercise involving traditional rulers whom he said know their subjects. He added, ” some retirees have traveled abroad to stay with their children but the Ezes still know them.
However, on a lighter note, since government made its intention to commence paying gratuities open, may pensioners have started penciling down their degree of indebtedness with a view to offsetting the bills as soon as they were paid.
Going further, some Pensioners have appealed to Governor Hope Uzodinma to match his words with actions vowing they will reciprocate.
Quoting one of them, “if the Governor dare pays me this gratuity, I will convince my family, relations, friends and well-wishers to massively vote for him”.
