The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Abia State branch, has denied receiving full payment of arrears of pensions and gratuity from the state government.
The union stated that the Governor had promised to clear all outstanding pension arrears owed to retirees by December 2023, but has failed to fulfill the promise.
They lamented that multiple letters and appeals, they have been unable to secure a direct audience with the Governor, stressing that the situation has fueled concerns that pensioners are being sidelined in favor of other government priorities.
Briefing the media in Umuahia, chairman of NUP, in Abia state, Elder Chukwuemeka Irondi, provided a detailed account of the monies owed them with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement, MOA.
The union explained that they were sad to discover that only 10 months of pension arrears incurred during the current administration had been cleared, while the 45 months of arrears from previous administrations remain unpaid.
It called on the Governor to honor his campaign promises or openly declare that his administration will not settle the debt.
They further accused the state government of preparing and forcing them to sign an MOA that falsely
claimed pensioners had waived their rights to these arrears and gratuities.
They union demanded a review of the MOA under the provisions for dispute resolution outlined in the document, stressing that they have appealed to both the Nigeria Labour Congress ,NLC, and their national union for support.
The union said; “Governor Alex Otti promised to clear all outstanding pension arrears owed to retirees by December 2023.
“However, a verification exercise later revealed that the amount required far exceeded initial estimates, jumping from N10 billion to N30 billion. The Governor proposed a new template for payment, offering percentages based on the arrears owed, but the union requested revisions, seeking a higher payout for pensioners.
“A series of meetings between the NUP executive and government officials followed, with no clear resolutions.”
The union expressed disappointment in the handling of the pension matter and accused the state government of dishonesty, and attempting to persuade pensioners into waiving their legitimate entitlements.