The Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Abia State, has called on the state government to revisit the Memorandum of Agreement concerning the payment of long-standing pension arrears and gratuities.
The PUNCH reported that the union made this appeal in a statement issued on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Elder Chukwuemeka Irondi, and Secretary, Elder Uma Kalu.
The pensioners’ union stressed that there had never been any discussion or agreement regarding the waiver of their entitlements, particularly gratuities.
The union pointed out that Governor Alex Otti has been consistent in clearing pension arrears from June 2023 to March 2024, but 45 months of pension arrears left by the previous administration still remain unsettled.
While acknowledging the governor’s commitment to paying monthly pensions on time, the union took issue with the way the MoA was crafted.
They alleged that the agreement was the result of poor advice from some of the Governor’s senior aides, including former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Michael Akpara, and Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Dr. Betty Emeka-Obasi.
In their statement, the union expressed particular concern over the contents of Article 7(a) and (b) of the MoA, which they claim was prepared by “agents of the state government” without proper consultation with pensioners.
“The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Abia State Council, insists on a serious review of the so-called Memorandum of Agreement, particularly Article 7(a) and (b), as crafted by agents of the state government,” the statement read.
The union further clarified that although Governor Otti’s administration had cleared 10 months of pension arrears (from June 2023 to March 2024), the 45 months of arrears inherited from the previous government remain unpaid.
Additionally, some pensioners have yet to receive even the recently cleared payments.
The union also criticized the administration’s ex gratia payments to some pensioners, labeling them as vague and not agreed upon in discussions with the NUP.
Furthermore, the union took issue with Governor Otti’s claim that his administration had cleared a decade of pension arrears, calling the statement “baseless” and unsupported by the union’s records.
The NUP’s statement highlights ongoing dissatisfaction among Abia State pensioners regarding the handling of their outstanding dues and calls for the state government to engage in more transparent and inclusive negotiations on pension and gratuity payments.
