The Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has observed “with chagrin and shock, the calculated attempt by Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration to deny pensioners in Imo State of their over 40 months pension arrears, through a well crafted fraudulent means designed to hoodwink the senior citizens into voluntarily endorsing the forfeiture of their accumulated pension arrears without actually knowing it.”

The party in a statement issued on Monday in Owerri by its Publicity Secretary, Damian Oparah, described as heartless, how the state government designed a form titled ‘Letter of Set Off in Respect of My Outstanding Pension Arrears’, with the sole intent of misleading the unsuspecting senior citizens into endorsing it.

“No responsible government will treat its pensioners with such high level of deception just to rob them of their ‘lives’ entitlement which they toiled for over the years.

“Apart from asking the retired fathers and mothers to sign a poisonous document that they will collect only 40% of their entire entitlements, the Okorocha administration went further to insert a very dangerous clause that will permanently deny the pensioners of their entitlement for life.

“The obnoxious clause reads: ‘I do hereby release and discharge the Imo State Government and its agents from all PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE LIABILITY (emphasis ours) and from all actions, claims and demands in respect of the said accumulated Pension Arrears’.”

The leading opposition party pointed out that “to any discerning mind, this killer clause if the pensioners sign the document will deprive them for life, of any claim to their entitlement. This by all standards is the height of Governor Okorocha’s hatred for Imo pensioners.”

The party said: “The salient questions now are: Where does the 60% remaining of these pensioners entitlement go? If the state government is discharged of any liability in terms of further payment of the pensioners entitlements in the PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE, who collects the rest of the accumulated over 40 months arrears? And where does subsequent payments in subsequent years go, and who accounts for them?

“If the government’s claim is anchored on the Economic Recession which the APC administration created by itself, why ask the innocent and poor pensioners to discharge the government of all future liabilities? Why were they not asked to collect 40% as an installment, pending when the economy improves?

“Imo PDP views Governor Okorocha’s well thought out plan to deprive our aged parents of their entitlements as not only an act of suppression and oppression but also an evil treatment which our senior citizens do not deserve having served Imo meritoriously for 35 years and retired thereafter. How can a governor, who claims to be democratically elected debase governance to this abhorable extent?

“Surprisingly, while this organised fraud rages, all APC leaders in Imo State kept mute. None of them has spoken to condemn this inhuman and callous game plan by Governor Okorocha. The only deductible thing from their significant silence, is that they are acting in league. It is a gang up against Imo pensioners and all of them may hopefully be beneficiaries of the diverted pensioners funds if they succeed.

“However, as God will have it, some vigilant pensioners spotted this fraud and refused to sign the document. They opted to go hungry instead of aiding and abetting the fraud game.

“While Imo PDP commends the pensioners for rising to the challenge and being vigilant, we also call on Nigerians to condemn this fraud. The EFCC and ICPC should also wade in before the situation degenerates further. This is pure fraud which cannot be swept under the carpet, if it is allowed to succeed.

“It is instructive to further inform Nigerians that Imo State is being run like Governor Okorocha’s fiefdom. He is acting like a feudal lord and as if there is no law and order. It is like Imo is a state where fraud walks on two legs like human beings and nothing happens. This is very provoking.

“Yet this is the type of clueless government Hon. Obinna Onwubuariri that was elected under the platform of PDP is soliciting support for from PDP members in Imo State.

“The PDP will however, continue to identify with our aged fathers and mothers in their struggle for better attention from Imo State government. We will not support anything whatsoever or howsoever that will inflict pains on our pensioners.

“The Imo PDP therefore, calls on Governor Okorocha, to as a matter of utmost importance, discard any fraudulent intent to rob the pensioners of their entitlements. He should without further delay; pay them their due entitlements without any mutilation whatsoever.

“God is watching and nothing is ever hidden from Him. Kings Herod and Nebuchadnezzar, upon all their obduracy, still bowed down to the superiority of God and Governor Okorocha cannot be an exception. A word is enough for the wise.”

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