Hundreds of aggrieved pensioners under the aegis of the Concerned Pensioners Association of Benue State on Thursday defied heavy rainfall to protest the non-payment of outstanding gratuities dating back to the year 2000.
The pensioners staged a peaceful protest in Makurdi, threatening to occupy the Benue State Government House if their longstanding grievances over unpaid gratuities, pension arrears and pension harmonisation are not addressed.
They carried their sleeping mats and bore placards with inscriptions like “pay us our pension, our members are dying,” among others.
The aggrieved pensioners said they had exhausted all avenues of dialogue with the state government without success, forcing them to take their agitation to the streets.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Chairman of the association, Akosu Orban, accused the present administration of failing to fulfil promises made to pensioners before and after the 2023 elections.
According to Orban, pensioners are owed gratuities dating back to the year 2000, while state and local government retirees are owed pension arrears of 38 and 62 months respectively.
“We have exhausted all avenues for dialogue and resolution with the Benue state government over our demands without success. That is why we have decided to embark on this peaceful protest,” he said.
The association also decried the alleged failure of the government to harmonise pension rates in line with Section 210 of the 1999 Constitution, claiming that some retirees still receive as little as N2,000 monthly pension despite the approved minimum pension benchmark.
“It may interest you to know that some pensioners who retired many years ago are still being paid N2,000 monthly pension.
“If pensions were properly harmonised, they should be receiving up to N40,000 per month,” Orban stated.
He lamented that “pensioners are dying on a daily basis because they cannot afford drugs and special diets required for age-related ailments.
“We have become scavengers, beggars and destitute in the land we served diligently.”
The pensioners recalled that Governor Alia had promised during the election campaign to clear outstanding pension arrears and gratuities within 100 days of assuming office.
“Approximately three years in office, there is enough money and enough borrowing without redeeming any of his campaign promises to pensioners,” Orban alleged.
The association further accused the government of reneging on an understanding that led pensioners to withdraw court cases seeking the enforcement of their entitlements.
According to the group, retirees suspended legal actions after assurances that pension arrears and gratuities would be paid on a first-retired, first-paid basis.
“Pensioners were happy and withdrew most of their cases from court against government, only to discover that they were tactically cajoled. Nothing has been done till date,” the chairman said.
The Chairman disclosed that members regretted contributing their funds for the purchase of the Governor’s Expression of Interest and Nomination form for the 2027 governorship election.
The protesters warned that should the government continue to ignore their demands, they would escalate their action.
“We are hungry and angry. If our concerns are not addressed, we will have no option than to occupy the Benue State Government House until justice is done to pensioners,” the Chairman declared.
Responding to the agitation of the pensioners, the Benue State Commissioner for Finance, Michael Oglegba, said the administration inherited pension and gratuity liabilities estimated at N300 billion, describing it as one of the largest backlogs in the country.
He maintained that the government was making efforts to settle the obligations within available resources.
“That is what we inherited, but we are doing our very best to pay what we can. They have the right to demonstrate, but government, in its wisdom, is doing its best,” Oglegba said.
The commissioner disclosed that the administration had paid the gratuities of workers who retired since it came into office in 2023.
“Since we came into office in 2023 till date, this government has paid 100 percent of the gratuities of everybody who left service during this administration.
“We are also paying the backlog, but the money is not there to pay everything at once,” he added.
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