Pensioners in Abia early on Thursday morning in Umuahia disclosed that their coordinator, Elder Dan Amugo as well as 15 others, have died out of hardship due to non-payment of pension and gratuity.

Under the aegis of Concerned Abia Pensioners, the senior citizens embarked on a two-day state-wide protest, demanding that they should be paid their more than 45 months of unpaid monthly pension owed them.

Led by their new coordinator, Chief Emeka Okezie, regretted, “Our coordinator, Elder Dan Amugo is in the mortuary and will be buried soon and pleaded with Abia State Government and Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to come to their aid.

“Please, the government of Abia State is owing the Abia pensioners a backlog of over 45 months unpaid pensions” and Ikpeazu, they said, “seem not to have any regards for his fathers.

“We have been dehumanized and subjected to unimaginable suffering as the death toll ranges to about 10 to 15 pensioners every month.

“Throughout this year, they started giving us one-quarter of our monthly payment. Every three months, you will see one-quarter of your monthly payments in your account. That is all. But on the backlog covering all these months, they prove deaf ears about coming to our aid.

“What we are pleading for and still pleading for is for this our government to intervene seriously because a lot of us are in the mortuary; a lot of us are lying helplessly and have no money to buy drugs.

“We are the fathers; they are supposed to help us. Is it how it is done in any other places?” they cried out.

They showed off placards some of which read, “Ikpeazu pay us our over 22 years of gratuity”, “Ikpeazu, be informed that many pensioners can no longer get medical care due to lack of money”, “Ikpeazu, why should we vote your candidates in the midst of this your wickedness against pensioners” and “ Ikpeazu, please pay us our monthly pension arrears of 45 months.”

According to them, their grievances include unpaid pensions of “February and December 2014, January, March and April 2015, and January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December 2016.

“January to December 2017 and 2018, 2019 January, February, March, April May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.

“In 2020, he paid January to December in full, 2021 paid January, February, March half pay, April half pay, May, half, June half, July half pay, August half pay, September, October November and December No payment, and 2022 January, February, March, April, No Payment.

“Non Harmonisation of pension from 1998 to 2022, and unpaid accumulated Gratuity for 22 years”.

They asked, “Who is the Moses that will advise the Abia State Government to lead us out of Egypt?” (Nigerian Tribune)

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