Why Pensioners Storm Abia Govt. House Yesterday

Pensioners in Abia state, southeast Nigeria on Wednesday stormed Government House, Umuahia to protest non-payment of their arrears of pension and gratuities.

The protest was the third by the over 500 pensioners in one month. According to NAN, they complained that they were owed four months pension arrears and gratuities which, according to them, had lingered for more than 16 years.

They protesters blocked the main gate to Government House and prevented vehicles from entering the area. They sat on the ground and resisted efforts by security men to disperse them and insisted that Gov. Theodore Orji should address them.

The Permanent Secretary in the Government House, Chief Nkwachukwu Agomuo, who later addressed them said that government was aware of their plight. Agomuo appealed to them to be patient with the government, saying efforts were being made to pay the arrears of their pension and gratuities. He blamed the delay in the payment of their terminal benefits on lean resources and reduction in Federal allocation to the state caused by the drop in crude oil prices.

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About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.