From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Pensioners in Delta State have expressed fears over the implementation of the recently released N5 billion for the payment of arrears to retirees in the state.
Commissioner for Information Charles Aniagwu had on Monday, announced that the state government released N5 billion for the payment of pension arrears.
Aniagwu in a statement said N2.5 billion was released for the payment of pension arrears for state pensioners while N2.5 billion was also released as grant to Local Government Pensions Bureau for the payment of local government and primary school retirees.
He said the gesture was part of the government’s efforts at ameliorating the plight of the affected senior citizens in the state.
But reacting, the state vice chairman of the Association of Contributory Retirees (ACR), Anthony Osanekwu, said pensioners were not excited by the release because of past experiences
“The main thing is that we hardly trust what politicians say because about five months ago, he said they released N2 billion and we thought that could go a long way to clear the arrears of accrued rights which they are owing us.
“But before we knew it, we discovered that they have used the money to pay those who are just retiring, leaving out those of us who have been on the ground.
“So that is still our fear in this one, we don’t know how much that they will say they are going to use to pay because they just mentioned the amount N5 billion although they said N2.5 is for the state, while N2.5 is for local government retirees.
“But until we see it and until they implement it we won’t say yes they have done something, I will not just say now that I am enthused because of past experience,” he said.
Osanekwu added that the N5 billion was grossly insignificant, compared to the arrears being owed to retirees in the state.
“This N5 billion is insignificant because it is the governor who mentioned it himself sometime last year that the amount is about N100 billion,” he pointed out.