Abia pension arrears: Government attributes payment modalities to agreement with NUP; body says terms were different

Stephanie Clems, Umuahia

The leadership of the Nigeria union of Pensioners in Abia state has said that it is true it had an agreement with the state government on a certain modality to be adopted for the payment of pension arrears but added that the government derailed from it at some point.

The chairman of the union in the state, comrade Chukwuemeka Irondi said pensioners are however grateful for what the government could do.

“The pensioners are happy that The can now buy their drugs,” he said.

After their Wednesday morning usual prayers at the state secretariat, Comrade Irondi explained that the governor had given the union a proposal which they studied with their lawyers and later requested that further adjustments be made to it.

He said the governor had proposed to pay the arrears using various percentages wherein those whose arrears were 1 million naira and below would get 100% of their money and those above will be paid in either 40%, 50% or 60%.

According to him, pensioners in the state had not experienced the type of money they got paid and prayed for God to bless the governor.

He however clarified that the agreement they have with the government was for pensions and not gratuity.

Also, the secretary of the union, Comrade Uma Kalu said members were carried along all through the journey through their various unit heads.

The Commissioner of finance, Mr. Mike Akpara told journalists at a press briefing the the government had spent about N9 billion in paying the arrears and would pay more when the exercise would have been completed .

He said the government followed the agreement it had the retirees through their leadership.

In his words, “we had an agreement with the Nigeria union of pensioners and the agreement is to pay them their pensions and that is exactly what the government has done and they are happy about that.”

Commissioner for information and culture, Prince Okey Kanu also announced that government was making plans to introduce contributory pension scheme for workers, adding that a help desk is to be set up to address all complaints bothering on pension arrears.

For a week now, the pensioners stopped going to their favourite spot- the newspaper stand at All well, Umuwaya road, Umuahia following the payments they started receiving .

Some pensioners are however expecting more payments as they say the arears paid was a far cry from what it should be.