Pensioners in the Imo State Broadcasting Corporation, (IBC), for the umpteenth time have cried out over the inability of the rescue mission administration in the state to pay their pension arrears, which has entered into its 29th month.
One of the pensioners who pleaded anonymity revealed to Trumpeta, that despite their peaceful protest and appeal to Governor Rochas Okorocha, they have not received a dime as payment from the state government.
According to him, Governor Okorocha had constituted a committee headed them by then Chief of Staff, Prince Eze Madumere, then Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Chinedu Offor and others to look into the plight of the pensioners of the corporation and come up with modalities of ensuring they get their entitlements.
The committee, which was given three weeks to carry out its responsibility, was said to have submitted its report late last year.
Despite the submission of the report, no remedial measure to alleviate the ordeal of the pensioners has been taken by the Imo State Government.
This Newspaper learnt that the silence of the state government compelled the pensioners to visit the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Diocese, Archbishop Anthony Obinna, urging him to use his good office to appeal to Governor Okorocha to pay them their pension arrears on the basis that they have suffered untold hardship, neglect and acute poverty. The Archbishop was reported to have exclaimed over the plight of the pensioners and had to demonstrate his sympathy by doling out “transport money” to them to aid them return to their various destinations. It was unclear as at press time, if the Archbishop who in recent times, have taken a swipe at Governor Okorocha over some policies of the rescue mission went to the governor to plead on behalf of the pensioners.
