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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Pensioners operating under the auspices of the Concerned Pensioners Association of Benue State have threatened to permanently occupy the Government House in Makurdi until the state government addresses their longstanding demands regarding the payment of arrears of pension and gratuity.
The pensioners, who defied a heavy downpour on Wednesday, marched through the streets to protest what they described as the non-payment of outstanding gratuities stretching back to the year 2000.
The Concerned Pensioners Association, Benue State, is a splinter group of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), registered in 2022.
Marching along Naka Road, the pensioners bore placards with various inscriptions such as, “Your Excellency, you have buried pensioners for paying gratuities during your time, June, 2023 to date Only, Why?”, “Governor Alia pay us 38-62 months pension arrears, 25 years gratuities, harmonisation,” and “Your Excellency, Pensioners are dying, Pay Us Our Deserved Entitlements,” among others.
Many of them were also seen bearing bags, mats, and other camping materials while chanting solidarity songs.
The Chairman of the association, Mr Akosu Orban, while addressing newsmen, declared that they were prepared to head to the Government House gate and remain there indefinitely, insisting that they would not leave until their grievances were addressed.
He said: “We are marching to the Government House gate. We are going to station there permanently not to withdraw unless our demands are met or we die. If not, we are not moving anywhere. We are tired of dying in silence.”
Orban said the protest became necessary after the association had exhausted all avenues for dialogue and resolution with the Benue State Government over its demands without success.
He lamented that gratuity payments have remained outstanding for retirees dating back to the year 2000, noting that some pensioners who retired more than two decades ago are yet to receive their entitlements.
They also decried the non-payment of pension arrears, stating that pensioners at the state and local government levels are owed between 38 and 62 months of pensions, respectively, while many retirees continue to endure severe hardship, depending on other individuals for survival.
In a speech, Orban said another major concern is the failure of the government to harmonise pension rates as stipulated under Section 210 of the 1999 Constitution, resulting in some pensioners receiving as little as N2,000 as a monthly pension instead of the approved N40,000 minimum.
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The association recalled that pensioners played a significant role in the emergence of Governor Hyacinth Alia in the 2023 elections after he promised to clear pension arrears and gratuity backlogs within 100 days of assuming office.
They expressed disappointment that nearly three years into the administration, those promises have not been fulfilled, despite what they described as improved government revenue and borrowing capacity.
The pensioners further alleged that they withdrew several court cases against the government based on assurances that outstanding pensions and gratuities would be settled according to a first-retired, first-paid arrangement, but claimed that little progress has been made since then.
They also questioned why other categories of workers and institutions had their outstanding entitlements settled while pensioners continue to wait for payments, despite their contributions to the state and support for the current administration.
The association further revealed that it again purchased the governor’s expression of interest and nomination forms during the election period with the hope that their welfare would receive attention, but expressed regret that he is yet to attend to their demands.
He said: “We purchased the expression of interest nomination form for the governor so that he will pay us what is our arrears. But he is still turning a blind eye to our own plight. So that is the reason why we have to go on the streets to let the nation know what pensioners are passing through.”
The pensioners called on President Bola Tinubu, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, and international human rights groups to prevail on the governor to come to the aid of pensioners in the state.
In response, the state government said it inherited unpaid pensions and gratuities of about N300 billion, which it described as the highest in the country.
The State Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning, Michael Oglegba, who spoke by phone, said the government was doing its best to pay arrears of pension and gratuity.
He said: “What we inherited from both local government and state is over N300 billion, that’s the highest in this country, but we are doing our very best to pay what we can. So they have the right to demonstrate but the government in his wisdom is doing the best. We are paying backlogs.”
The Commissioner added that since the assumption of office in 2023, the Alia administration has been paying everyone that has left service from 2023, 100 per cent of their gratuity. Even today, 100 per cent of their gratuity is paid.
When asked about gratuities of those who left service before 2023, Oglegba said: “We are paying as much as we can but the monies are not there to pay everything together.”
