That Pensioners especially those who retired from the primary school system and local government system respectively should go to hell appears to be the thinking of the government of Imo State headed by His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha. The government might even be considering them as spent forces or dead woods who would rather be subtly compelled to die in frustration and misery than compete with their counterparts at the state level (and all others), for the national cake, sorry, state cake in order to sustain themselves and their families in spite of the pro-active time and energy spent by them and sacrifices they made in their hey days as their own contributions towards baking the said cake hence making the state, what it is today. These poor retirees some of whose monthly pensions are scarcely above N3000.00, were no doubt, in their respective letters of retirement, commended for their diligence, loyalty, output and meritorious services, generally and further wished all the best in their future endeavours. Would any one begrudge them or query God for allowing them to remain alive? How would they fare in their future economic endeavours when their gratuities are not paid in time nor pensions paid as at when due?
Every well meaning person, including even the government knows very well that about 99% of these pensioners rendered selfless services. They were neither corrupt nor involved in any financial misdemeanor. All were cleared of every iota of indebtedness to their employer – the government yet their employer -the government, did not on her part clear her indebtedness to some of them. Little wonder, many retired without the settlement of their approved and outstanding claims, allowances and arrears of promotions. To some, their gratuities will ever remain a mirage or paid in heaven.
Retirement per se is certainly nothing to be regretted as long as the employer fulfills her statutory obligations to the retirees. This is why the Nigeria Union of Pensioners has as her motto, “Rest is sweet after labour”. Obviously, failure by the government to play well her part is responsible for:
a) Reluctance of workers to retire as at when due.
b) Falsification of records in order to prolong one’s service years.
c) Embezzlement of funds and corrupt enrichment as an option in preparing for
retirement.
d) Repeated agitations/demands for extension of service years as is often the case with some professional cadres in the judiciary and members of the academia.
Evidently, it is very unfortunate that the incumbent state administration is yet to
extend fully her Rescue Mission Services to the aforesaid pensioners whose plight can better be imagined than described vis-a-vis their age, senility, frailty and lack of alternative means of livelihood. Honestly although Rochas’ administration can be appreciated for drastically reducing the burden of pension arrears owed to pensioners by previous administrations and although, his administration has comparatively and practically become a model and one to beat in many years to come, the problems of these pensioners who feel frustrated, disgusted and short changed by an administration that now appears to distance itself from them can be summed up as follows:
1. Harmonization: The constitution aptly respects the pension rights of pensioners. As some pensioners receive only about N3000.00 as their monthly pension, it is common sense they should, consequent upon the recent upward review of workers’ salaries urgently have their pensions proportionately reviewed upwards as well. A situation where, hypothetically, a permanent secretary who retired before the last minimum wage review earns a pension about at par with that of a clerical officer who retired after the last minimum wage review is indeed most ridiculous, unfair and condemnable . Further to this, a pensioner should be harmonized with his^retired professional colleague who retired on the same grade level with him and not with those on the same grade level but of different professional cadre. By way, of illustration, an administrative officer on grade level “N” who retired before the last minimum wage review should be harmonized with an administrative officer who retired after the last minimum wage review on similar grade level “N”. Equally a medical officer who retired before the last minimum wage review period should also be harmonized with his professional colleague of the same grade level who retired after the last minimum wage review. In other words, harmonization should be made in line with salary structure peculiar to each professional cadre and in line with salary grade levels.
Late Payment:
The utmost prayer/wish of the retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners is that their monthly pension should be paid promptly. A situation where they are often paid about three months later than their colleagues at the state level who are more or less paid at the same time with serving officers is most unbecoming, humiliating and discriminatory. How they wish their arrears of pension could be cleared soonest as a way of giving them a sense of belonging. Thus ameliorating their degree of frustration, restoring their dignity, hope, as well as galvanizing their capacity to contend with and contain their domestic issues and challenges.
Discrimination:
The above group of pensioners have the feeling that the government does not quite
know about their existence. This apparently accounts for the little or no attention often given to them as exemplified by their omission/exclusion when the Governor invited all pensioners to Dan Anyiam stadium some two years ago and subsequently cleared their arrears of pensions and gratuities in addition to the sumptuous lunch given to them on that occasion. One wouldn’t forget the invitation of state pensioners to Ahiajoku centre for an interactive session with the Governor some time Presently they are being asked to forward their applications for harmonize Nobody envies them any way but rather these other pensioners at the government level are praying that they should be carried along and given s attention. It has to be added that the plight of the group of pensioners under r is worsened by the insufficient provisions usually made available for them resultantly is responsible for the late payment of their pensions and gratuities and compounded by absence of diligent efforts to effect harmonization when it is imperative that harmonization of pensions is justifiably necessary each time an upward review of workers’ salaries.
In conclusion, there is no gain-saying the fact that the aforesaid pensioners reluctant to believe that their prayer/wishes cannot comfortably be addressed by our indefatigable, articulate and result oriented Governor, Owelle Roctias Anayo
Okorocha (OON) when they well nigh know his capacity to achieve results, doggedness and resilience to challenges, penchant for innovations and originality, concern and resolve to improve the living standard of the generality of Imo people – pensioners inclusive. The Governor’s innumerable and impressive achievements in various fields within these past two years are crystal clear pointers in this regard and no doubt do confirm his administration as the best so far witnessed in this state in the past 12years or thereabout and also make this administration comparatively a super model. Finally, since this government does not mince words on the financial buoyancy of this state – the secret of which is exclusive to her and baffles and mesmerizes her detractors, skeptics, stoics and doubting “Thomases”, it is only natural and proper that the plight and welfare of pensioners mentioned above should be keyed into her list of priorities as a way of extending her rescue mission services to them. Indeed, retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners have suffered: enough negligence, so much deprivation and need to be rescued as much as every other Imolite cum every system, machinery and structure necessary for the maintenance and upliftment of the state. In effect, we pray that these poor pensioners should be strong and healthy enough to out-live this administration, witness and admire the utility and beauty of her services especially in the areas of free education, massive road construction and infrastructural development while hoping that the corollary impregnated with starvation, hardship and misery should not be the case, due to the latter’s apparent preference and primary concern for comparatively skewed priorities so as not to consign the fate, future, prospects, life and well being of pensioners and their families to a position secondary to the aforesaid priorities.
