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Pensioners
battle Odili over N1.5 billion unpaid
gratuities
Odudu Okpongete,
Senior
Correspondent,
PH
Pensioners in Rivers State appeared
to be locked in a battle with Governor Peter Odili over the non-payment of
gratuities amounting to N1.5 billion.
Governor Peter Odili had in March
2004, after a meeting of the State Executive Council held at the
Government House, Port Harcourt, acknowledged that his government had not
been fair to the pensioners, promising that the government would pay the
money within six months.
But a position paper on the
plights of pensioners made available exclusively to Daily Independent
indicated that not only has the government reneged on the promise to clear
the debts, but had not actually paid such gratuities since
1998.
The document signed by the
State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Rivers State Chapter,
Comrade Tamuno Sukuye, indicated, however, that the government had been
engaging in discriminatory payment of such monies, favouring mostly
retired permanent secretaries.
� An unsettling development
here is that recently, retired permanent secretaries have been paid
theirs, quite contrary to the well-honoured WAI policy of first to face
the vagaries of retired life, first paid,� the document
noted.
The government, the pensioners
noted, had also refused to pay pensioners the 30 per cent and 142 per cent
harmonisation arrears said to have been implemented by other state
governments with even leaner revenue profile.
Although the government had in December 2003
made available N200million for the settlement of pensioners, only a few
ministries benefited from the fund with the authorities assuring of a
further release of money to pay those who were not covered without
fulfilling its promise. The government had also promised to pay 30 per
cent and 142 per cent pension arrears before the end of the first tenure
to no avail.
Worst hit by the default in
the payment are retired primary school teachers who are yet to receive
their federal share of such funds for the past 19 months. In a circular
dated February 14, 2007, issued by the Pensions Office, primary school
teachers were to be paid by their states and local government pensions
boards but were still being owed despite the circular showing that the
federal authorities allocate such grants quarterly.
The Commissioner for Budget
and Economic Planning, Mr. Ejim Enukwe, who confirmed the debts, said,
however, that the delay in paying pensioners could be attributed to
shortfalls in revenue accruing to the state.
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