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Railway
pensioners protest non-payment of benefits
By Chukwudi
Achife
Bureau Chief, Enugu
Hundreds of pensioners of the
Nigerian Railway Corporation have protested in Enugu over the non-payment of
their pension arrears and for several hours they brought activities at the
branch to a standstill.
Dressed in black and chanting
various songs, the pensioners, who carried green leaves during the protest,
comprised mainly old men and women who retired from the corporation over five
years ago.
Speaking to correspondents on
the protest, the pensioners said that about 700 of their colleagues had died
between year 2000 and 2004 dueto non payment of their entitlements
The chairman of the state
branch of the National Union ofPensioners, Mr. Dennis O. Iweanya, who led the
protest, said that thenon-payment of their pensions and the introduction of
pension dichotomy byrailway management were �seriously threatening the
existence of theretirees.�
He stated that there were 2,
500 railway pensioners in theEastern District as at year 2000, adding, however,
that as at September thisyear the number had decreased to 1, 800.
He said some pensioners had
died because they could nolonger afford basic healthcare and food.
Daily
Independent learnt that the pensioners resorted to protest
after theywere informed through a notice from the railway management that
payment ofpension arrears would commence on Monday, September 27 only to be
told thatpayment was for only post-1996 group of pensioners.
Iweanya said they would no
longer fold their arms and watchtheir colleagues continue to suffer, adding
that their disillusionment andanger had given rise to the spontaneous protest.
�It will not be in our
interest to continue to watchwhile our people die daily. We want to make the
government and authorities ofthe Railway know about our plight and that is why
we are protesting. Let thempay us our entitlements and that is all,� Iweanya
said. He added thatthe pensioners were anxiously waiting to be paid �especially
as we wereonly paid for two months this 2004 to cover the months of July
andAugust.�
Lamenting that the railway
management had adopted adichotomy in the payment of pensions any time it
trickles in, he said:�By introducing two groups of pensioners within one
railway industry,railway management and the Federal Government that gave
backing to such venturehave a hidden but dangerous agenda aimed at denying
pensioners their right toearn pension.�
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