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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Association of Contributory Retirees (ACR), Delta State chapter, in Asaba, yesterday, barricaded the entrance to the Government House, and prevented people from going in or coming out, for several hours.
Pensioners under the contributory scheme are being owed arrears of pensions and retirement benefits, amounting to several billions of naira.
As at 2014, the scheme had generated over N18 billion with workers contributing N13.7 billion. But, after retirement, they are yet to get their respective entitlements from the pool.
Hence, the latest mass action by the retirees who stormed Government House gate, and demanded audience with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
They had earlier taken their grievances to some media houses, state secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the House of Assembly.
Armed with placards of various inscriptions, the aggrieved retirees vowed not to leave unless the governor granted them audience.
The senior citizens turned down audience with Okowa’s Chief of Staff Tam Brisibe, as well as Commissioner for Justice, Peter Mrakpor. They insisted on seeing the governor.
But for the Head of Service, Reginald Bayoko, who later came to rescue the situation, the senior citizens would have sustained the human barricade at the gate till dusk.
Bayoko, who addressed them in the language of civil service, promised to facilitate a dialogue between the governor and the aggrieved retirees within one week.
In a circulated address by ACR Chairman, Ajueitsi Ovwiroro, the retirees accused the state government of defaulting in payment of various entitlements, since 2007
Ovwiroro urged the governor to convoke a stakeholders’ meeting where a new framework for the smooth implementation of the contributory pension scheme would be formulated.
He further called on Okowa to issue an irrevocable standing payment order (ISPO) to the accountant general of the Federation for the dedication of N500 million monthly from the state revenue allocation from the federation account until the debt is liquidated.
