Hundreds of pensioners from the Rivers State civil service, on Wednesday, barricaded the Rivers State House of assembly over the lack of payment of their retirement benefits.
The senior citizens protested the inability of the house to amend a law enacted during the administration of Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi which stopped the state government from paying them what was due to them.
Chanting several solidarity songs, the retirees urged the house of assembly to amend the law as most of them have health challenges that need financial support.
The leader of the group Mr Lucky Atteh while making their position known said, most of them has lost their lives because they could not pay their medical bills.
Mr Atteh said, “Yesterday one of us died also. Most of us that are retired, we have ailments, diabetes, hypertension which needs daily medication. People are not even able to meet up their daily medications again”.
The Rivers state government is owing pensioners in the state over two years of pension payment. The government has blamed certain laws enacted during the Rotimi Amaechi’s administration for the delay.
Although the executive arm of the state government has since sent a bill to the state house of assembly for the amendment, the house has not been able to amend the said law.
Our correspondent reports that the leadership of the house promised to speedily amend the law to ensure instant payment of their gratuities.
