Debts: Ekiti pensioners express anger, want N20bn arrears paid

Pensioners in Ekiti State have asked the state government to look into their plight and also charged it to pay arrears of their gratuities and pension they said had amounted to about N20billion.

The retirees said, on Thursday, at a press conference after their monthly meeting that they were “angry and want urgent solutions” to their problems.

The pensioners, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) said at the news conference addressed by their chairman in the state, Elder Ayò Kumapayi, said many of their members “have been abandoned by children and families who had exhausted their financial resources on them.”

They called on Governor Ayo Fayose to pay arrears of gratuities and monthly pensions they said had accumulated to N19,776,937,534.28 as of September 2015, saying “one has to imagine what it would be now in June 2017.”

They alleged that “the Ekiti State government has failed to preview pensions in conformity with Section 210, Sub-Section 3 of the 1999 constitution, saying a review of their pensions in conformity with the relevant sections of the law.

Kumapayi advised that Governor Fayose should focus on welfare of civil servants and pensioners and stop giving priority to capital projects.

He also advised the state government to set up an Advisory Committee to advise it on the disbursement of Paris Club Refund as already done in some states of federation.

Giving a breakdown of the amount owed as at September 2015, Kumapayi disclosed local government pensioners are owed N10.8 billion while state civil service pensioners are owed N8.9 billion totaling N19.7 billion owed as pensions and benefits.

He said: “We want our government to focus more attention on the suffering workers and pensioners rather than focusing on capital projects. No matter the roads, bridges or flyovers you build, history will tell you that you are doing it on the blood of senior citizens.

“If you pave the streets with gold and if I am sick, will I be able walk on that road? If you want to make a name (through projects), it should not be during recession like this. If you have nothing to eat, will your wife tell you to buy clothes?

“Therefore, we wish to suggest that Ekiti State government should, between now and October 2018 focus attention on workers’ emoluments in order to enable them to perform their statutory duties effectively.

“Similarly, the state government should pay pensioners their pensions, and gratuities regularly in order to make them enjoy the fruit of their labour.”

“Our pride as senior citizens who have faithfully, laboriously and dutifully served this nation is being rubbished daily. We are crying and justifiably so in view of our agonies; our sufferings and an unprecedented assault on the psyches of our members in Ekiti State