By Onwukwe Ezeru, Abia
Abia State Council of Nigeria Union of Pensioners has appealed to the state government to clear backlog of pension arrears not yet paid to its members in the state.
In a communiqué jointly signed by the state Chairman, Chukwuma N. Udensi, and state Secretary, Elder O. C. Arungwa, , the council said that the arrears stand between four to 10 months from 2014 to 2015 and called on the government to make urgent plans for clearing of the arrears.
The Council lamented the situation where retired primary school teachers, secondary school teachers and local government service staff are not pay-rolled for pensions for more than one year after retirement, pointing out that in most cases, the arrears arising from such delays are not easily processed and paid to the beneficiaries.
The council decried the non-payment of gratuities in the state for the past 15 years (2000-2015) and demands immediate commencement of payment of gratuities.
The Council also called on the government to settle the payment of harmonization arrears compiled since 2004 and consider the immediate implementation of pension increases of 6 1/2%, 15% and 53.4% approved by the Salaries and Wages Commission, adding that the non-implementation of which has made the Abia State Pensioners the lowest paid in the federation. The Council wished also to demand the settlement of 5 1/2 years arrears of monthly pensions owed to many Primary School Teachers from 2002 to 2007, which according to them, had been calculated but left unimplemented since then.
While demanding the commencement of action on rectifying the issues raised within the next two months, the Council lamented the exclusion of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, which is a major stakeholder, from the Bailout Fund Disbursement Committee.
According to the them, this exclusion made it difficult for the case of pensioners to be properly presented and accommodated in the disbursement of the Bailout fund, lamenting that no pensioner in the state has so far benefitted from the Bailout fund. The Council however commended the government for taking steps to produce an authentic nominal roll of pensioners in the state by carrying out an effective verification exercise soon after assuming office, thereby checking the ghost pensioner syndrome that prevailed in the pensions management of the state, but regretted that many pensioners who were verified in that exercise have not received their pensions since June, 2015.
While also congratulating the state Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, on his victory at the Supreme Court, the Council appreciated the governor’s performance in office so far with reference to infrastructural developments in spite of paucity of funds.