Pensioners in Imo State, led by the state Chairman, Chief Gideon Ezeji, took to the streets Thursday and blocked both Okigwe road and the entrance to Government House Owerri as they protested the non-payment of their pension.
According to Ezeji; “As at December 2016, the state is owing Imo pensioners between 22 months and 77 months arrears. Our gratuities have remained unpaid since 1998 till date.”
They also described the recent plan by the state government to pay 40 percent of the accumulated arrears only while the pensioners forfeit the remaining 60 percent as callous and inconsiderate.
Reacting to the allegations, Sam Onwuemeodo, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rochas Okorocha, released a statement stating that those who protested yesterday at the Government House are not pensioners and that the issue of pensions has been resolved.
“The truth of the matter as it concerns the issue of pensions in the state is that more than 99 percent of the pensioners in the state have been paid arrears of their pensions up to December 2016. The remaining one percent are pensioners who were omitted in the first payment exercise and they are at the moment receiving their cheques,” the statement read.
Onwuemeodo also denied claims that 60% of all pensioner’s salary was forfeited, saying that pensioners from grade level one to six were paid their full arrears while those on grade seven to seventeen are the ones who received 40% of their arrears.