Cross River state retirees are currently lamenting over the non-payment of their outstanding pension and gratuities. They are angry that while the state government has been consistently paying civil servant’s salaries as at when due they (retirees) were left to wallow in poverty. They are particularly furious with the governor that retirees are not carried along in the scheme of things especially as it concerns regular payment of pension and gratuities. To them, what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander. They feel that regular payment of salaries and entitlements should be all encompassing and not limited to a particular section of workers.
While some of them have died in the course of waiting for their entitlements, those who are still alive are going through terrible experiences many years after retirement. In fact, they have been subjected to untold hardship as the state government seems to be doing little or nothing to ameliorate their plight.
While local government pensioners are groaning over the non-payment of arrears of pension and gratuities owed them for many years which runs into billions of naira, other retired state civil servants are also lamenting over the non-payment of over 3 years gratuity.
One of the retirees, 65-year old Pastor Joshua Idang who recently led other retired workers on a protest told the Nigerian Tribune that the state government led by Prof Ben Ayade, had been unfair to retirees. He said while civil servants are enjoying regular payment of salaries, the state government has turned deaf hears to the cries of retirees.
Pastor Idang lamented that the state government had not paid retirees their gratuity since June, 2013; a situation he said had subjected retirees to untold hardship and starvation in the state.
He said though the state government had paid pension of state civil service retirees up to date, what they were asking for was their arrears of gratuity.
Idang said, ‘’ we have been suffering since we retired and I don’t think the state government is doing anything to address the problem. We have been owed gratuity since June, 2013 and little or nothing has been done to pay us even after series of protest.’’
‘’Retirees should also be paid regularly the same way the state government is paying civil servants salaries regularly. We have school fees to pay, we have hospital bills to pick, we have house rent to pay and so many other commitments so it would be wise if something urgent is done.’’
According to him, many retirees have died without receiving their entitlements.
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