Retirees in Rivers State are not happy over the halting of money meant for pension arrears, gratuities, and death benefits by the Sole administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd)
The Retirees who gathered under the banner of the Rivers State Civil Service Retirees told our correspondent on Tuesday that the refusal to pay the monthly pensions, gratuities, and death benefits had taken a toll on the state civil service.
In his words, the PRO of the state civil service retirees, Comrade Sam Eke said: “Since the sole administrator came, we have not been treated fairly unlike what the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike did upon leaving office as governor, he started releasing one billion naira monthly to pay accumulated pension arrears, gratuities and death benefits of Rivers State civil servants.
“Siminalayi Fubara came on board as governor and increased it to two billion monthly, and pensioners were getting some relief. But since the state of emergency came into force, the sole administrator, in his wisdom, has refused to approve any money for the payment of gratuities, arrears of monthly pension, and death benefits in the state.
“So, pensioners are apprehensive. We don’t know what the game plan is and what the directives are from wherever he is taking his directives from. We are worried that all efforts by our parent body, the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Rivers State branch, have not yielded a positive response from the sole administrator. Several memos have been sent to him, and we are hopeful that he will grant us an audience.
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“We are looking up to him to please sustain the legacy that has been left behind before he came so that pensioners in the state will not suffer unduly under his six-month emergency rule in Rivers State.
“We are using this medium to appeal to him to see how he can continue releasing the two billion or if possible more so that pensioners in the state can get a relief from the arrears of what is being owed pensioners. This is our passionate plea to the sole administrator.
The state coordinator, Comrade Isaac Urang, also added, saying that “We are in a desperate situation right now as I am talking to you. The sole administrator that just came in has stopped gratuity payment, pension arrears and death benefits. A lot of people are in the hospital expecting the money to be paid to them, but unfortunately, the payment has been stopped.
“So, that is the situation in which we find ourselves. Apart from that, His Excellency suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who had already put in place a committee to increase our money. So, we are pleading with the sole administrator to commence the two billion monthly payment meant for us in the state and also increase it so that it will be able to accommodate all pensioners, including those on the waiting list.”
