Abia Retirees Seek Gratuity Payment

The Abia Pensioners’ Forum, a pressure group operating under the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, has voiced deep frustration over the persistent delay in paying gratuities and outstanding pension arrears to retirees in the state. The group lamented that the dire financial situation has led to sickness, homelessness, and even the deaths of some pensioners.

Speaking to journalists in Umuahia on Wednesday, the Forum revealed that the state government has yet to implement the findings of a committee established to review the critical matter, despite the committee having already submitted its final report.

Okey Kanu, the coordinator who spoke on behalf of the members, forcefully reiterated that the retirees will never forfeit their rightful gratuities and pension arrears to the state government. He insisted that the money is a constitutional right, not a favor from any administration.

Kanu described the continued failure to pay as “inordinate delay.” He pointed out that Governor Alex Otti’s current administration has only addressed ten months of pension arrears, those accrued between June 2023 and March 2024, without tackling the massive outstanding arrears inherited from the previous Abia administration.

The coordinator specifically refuted the state government’s claim that pensioners voluntarily forfeited their entitlements based on a controversial Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) allegedly signed with the NUP leadership in Abia. He dismissed the claim as fundamentally wrong and unjust.

Kanu painted a grim picture of the situation, noting that “with each passing month, more pensioners fall into worsening health, depression, and, in some cases, death” without receiving the reward for their thirty-five years of public service.

He argued that allowing this humanitarian crisis to continue constitutes a profound injustice against former public servants.

The Abia retirees reminded Governor Otti that their significant block votes contributed immensely to his victory in the 2023 election, largely based on his campaign promise to clear all unpaid pensions and gratuities if elected.

While they acknowledged and commended the Governor’s achievements in infrastructure development, they stressed that their priority remains the payment of all entitlements so that they can remain alive and well enough to enjoy the benefits of the new infrastructure.