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Rivers Pensioners decry N119b backlog debt, beg Gov Fubara for help

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Rivers Pensioners decry N119b backlog debt, beg Gov Fubara for help

Fubara

Gov. Fubara

Port Harcourt By ChristyD 12 Oct. 2023


Pensioners in Rivers state have lamented the huge backlog of pensions and gratuities owed them by the state government which spans between the administration of former Governor Peter Odili and that of the immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike.

The backlog which is over N119billion is a rollover sum from past administrations which has not been defrayed by any successive government since 2003 till date leading to serious problems among pensioners in the state.

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Speaking exclusively with the Vanguard, Chairman of the Nigerian Union of pensioners, NUP, Rivers state chapter, Comrade Collins Iheanyi-Nwankwo said no government has ever taken a deliberate step to defray this backlog over the years.

“If we are talking about how long the government has been owing pensioners, it spans from Governor (Peter) Odili time till now. No government in the past has been able to completely defray the debt. The Administration of former Governor (Nyesom) Wike was the worst in handling this issue.

“They were not able to pay what they ought to pay. We had a tripartite meeting involving representatives of Nigerian Labor Congress, Nigerian Union of Pensioners and that of the state government. It was at that meeting that government came up with a report of that amount of over N119billion.

“Rather than look at the issue for resolution, government decided to do verification and commenced some payments where they said they have been releasing N1billion every month to pay some people who retired in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 up to 2015. A lot of people are still complaining that they didn’t receive any payment. We realized that this was as a result of insufficient funds”, he said.

“Yes, I can say that payment has been made by the past government. But the amount of money released for that purpose was never enough”.

According Iheanyi-Nwankwo, “the more than N119billion owed over 30,000 pensioners exclude local government retirees in the state”, adding that several increases such as 6% in 2003, 15% in 2007 and 33% in 2010 have also not been paid.

The state NUP chairman said the N119billion backlog has three components of gratuities, pensions and death benefits, regretting that so many pensioners in the state have died because they could not afford medications and other necessities.

Iheanyi-Nwankwo however called on the state Governor, Siminalaye Fubara to consider the plight of pensioners in the state by looking at how he could drastically reduce the huge backlog owed them in the state.

“He is one of our own. He was a civil servant before becoming a governor. We are appealing to him to do something about the welfare of pensioners in Rivers state. Pensioners are dying every other day”.