Okorocha owes N56.4billion in pensions and gratuity

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Imo State chapter has cried out over unpaid N56.4 billion pensions and gratuities owed them by the state government. This, according to the union was made up of N26 billion pension arrears and N30 billion in unpaid gratuities. NUP said the Rochas Okorocha-led state government had deliberately refused to release check-off duly deducted by the government and meant for the NUP, pleading that any future pension payments be made by a well constituted body by the federal government as against the now haphazard pension administration in Imo state. Lamenting that pensioners in the state were being owed gratuities from 1998 till date, NUP also alleged that the three months pension payment made in August this year was merely 40% in contravention of the court judgment of 5th July, 2017 which stipulated that 100% payment must be made in accordance with the nation’s Constitution.

In a statement jointly signed by the union’s chairman, Chief J.D Osuigwe and the Assistant Secretary, Prince O.F Ezike and made available to newsmen, NUP explained how it arrived at the figures, saying many of its members had died following the unpaid pension and gratuities. It reads: “The leadership of the union (NUP) had produced forms for each pensioner to fill showing what is being owed to him or her, local government by local government through the NUP branch chairmen who countersigned them.

This is in exclusion of retired permanent secretaries. “We are hereby appealing to the leadership of the NLC and the federal government to conduct public hearing specifically for Imo state pensioners to ascertain the truth of their plight and if possible, the hearing should be done local government by local government. “Furthermore, we are appealing to the leadership of the NLC and the Federal Government to compel the Imo state government under Rochas Okorocha to use the bail-out funds to clear all the arrears of pensions and gratuities owed Imo state pensioners.

“It is embarrassing and shocking that the Imo state government under Rochas Okorocha’s leadership has continued to claim that it has cleared all arrears of pensions and gratuities owned to Imo state pensioners, it is our prayer that the federal government should wade into this matter and see the depth of the rot in Okorocha’s pension administration in Imo state.”