No fewer than 2000 Local Government pensioners on Tuesday slept at the gate of the Benue State Government House in Makurdi to protest non-payment of their pension to the tune of N1.1 billion.
The pensioners who came from the 23 local government areas of the state were said to have arrived the seat of government in Makurdi about noon but could not see the governor and decided to pass the night at the gate of government house.
Efforts to disperse them by security operatives mounting the gate were rebuffed as the senior citizens called their bluff until mother luck smiled at them Wednesday morning when governor who was traveling to Abuja came and addressed them.
Chairman of the pensioners under the auspices of ‘Coalition of Local Government Pensioners’, Comrade Mike Vembe who led the protest to Government House on Tuesday told newsmen on Wednesday one of their members due to frustration hung himself a week ago.
Vembe who spoke to newsmen said that one of their members, Gabriel Nomsha from Gwer West Local Government Area committed suicide last week as a result of poverty and frustration explained that after the deceased had been screened, he came with the hope of collecting his pension but was disappointed when he wasn’t paid.
“The man died of frustration because he had high hopes that he would get his pension after scaling through the screening process. When that didn’t happen, he got frustrated and went and hung himself last week.”
The pensioner leader said that the protest became necessary after the Ministry of Finance stopped giving money to Local Government Pensions Board.
“We slept at the gate of the Government House since yesterday to press home our demands for the payment of our pension. The Finance Ministry stopped giving money to Local Government Pensions Board and this is causing our hardship.”
The pensioners bore placards with various inscription including, “Retirement is not a crime, pay all Retirees 2015 inclusive”, “Our governor hear our prayers please”, “our children are suffering in schools”, “We are sick due to poverty and age,” continued to chant solidarity songs throughout the night.
Governor Samuel Ortom who sympathized with them said that their welfare was of utmost importance to his government and promised to do everything possible to clear their pension arrears.
Ortom immediately directed his Special Adviser on Local Government on Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Titus Zam to include one of their leaders
and then