Retirees from the Cross River State Civil service under the Nigerian Union Of Pensioners, NUP, on Friday afternoon trooped to the Cross River State Government House with placards, demanding the payment of their pensions, gratuities and areas of pensions owed them between August 2013 and November 2021 from the state government
The protesting retirees, who arrived at the government house at the time Governor Ben Ayade was in a meeting at the state House of Assembly, expressed regret, pain, hunger and untold hardship and frustration.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, the Cross River State Chairman of NUP, Dr Eyo Otu Eyo, said” “We have come to see our governor, to tell him, that Imoke paid pension and gratuity up to the month of July 2013”.
“From the month of August 2013 down till date, nobody has been paid. Those of us that retired in 2014, in addition to part of those who were not paid in 2013, down the line to 2021 have not been paid their gratuity and pension, so you can imagine. And for those of you that are going to retire, you will come and join us.
“irrespective of the fact that some people have long legs that they can go and say pay me my own, I am saying that 99% from part of 2013 to 2021 have not been paid pension and gratuity.
“For pension, it will surprise you to know that some persons here are paid N3,000 naira as pension monthly, some on N7,000, some On N12,000. So this thing we call pension is nothing to write home about, those in Union Bank have not been paid. There have not been any harmonised pension. None of us standing here earns more than N25,000 but yet we have not been paid”, he lamented.
Dr Eyo regretted that even their children who had graduated from schools had no jobs and that some pensioners were bedridden and some had died preventable deaths as a result of the lack of payment. He further expressed regret and readiness to die at the governor’s office.
“We are going to Wait for him to finish the meeting and come, let him come and meet us here, even if they want to come and kill us, as we are standing all of us Will die here”, the NUP chairman said.
Addressing the crowd of protesters, the Permanent Secretary, Governors Office, Dr Alfred Mboto, acknowledged the plight of the protesters and pleaded with them to allow him to take their demands to the governor.
“I came and saw you, my mothers and my fathers. Truly speaking, I know that you had wanted to see the governor directly, but right now as we speak, he is in a meeting at the House of Assembly.
“Truly I have seen your plight, and I can say that Nobody will see this and not understand that you are in pain. But I am assuring you that we Will do everything possible to address your demands. The issue of pension affects all of us, I have how many years now, and I will join you people.
“And so, anybody who is this way and is not supporting the payment of retirees entitlements, I do not think that person is reasonable.
“The Truth is that the government is doing everything possible to make sure that the pension and gratuities are paid. I will take all I have seen here to him when he comes back.”Dr Mboto pleaded.
As at the time of this report, Governor Ayade was not in his office, as he was said to be attending a meeting at the state house of assembly.
The pensioners’ demands as scripted on their placards included: “Governor Ayade pay us our pensions and gratuity from 2013 till date”, pensioners are dying every day due to non-payment of pensions and gratuity” amongst others.
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