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Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom on Friday disclosed that N611 million had been approved for the payment of April and May pension arrears to retirees in the state.
The Governor who disclosed this while addressing the protesting retirees under the aegis of Benue Concerned Pensioners who had occupied the Benue State Government House since Wednesday noted that they would start receiving alerts on Monday or Tuesday next week.
He appealed to them to shield their swords and embrace dialogue, pointing out that his administration was making frantic efforts aimed at permanently address the pensions and gratuities challenges.
Ortom stated further that the domestication and inauguration of Pension Commission would also go a long way in addressing the challenges being faced by the pensioners in getting their pensions and gratuities.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Benue State Chapter has distanced itself from the protest organised by the ‘Concerned Pensioners’ in the state, saying the protest was instigated and had a political undertone.
State Chairman of the Union, Comrade Joseph Kyume, stated this on Friday in a chat with newsmen shortly after he led a delegation to present the position of the Union to Governor Samuel Ortom at the Government House in Makurdi.
Ikyume said the Union had held talks with the State Government and had agreed on harmonisation of payment of pensions to all categories of retirees in the state.
He stated that the Union had also requested the Governor to domesticate the Federal Government’s Contributory Pensions Scheme, PENCOM, in the state which the Governor had done and even gone a step further to inaugurate the commission to address the problem of pensioners in the state.
Comrade Ikyume noted that the protesting group was anchored by suspended leaders of the Union who had gone to court but lost, saying the union in the state would not allow itself to be dragged into partisan politics.
