The Abia State Government has clarified issues surrounding pension payments, accusing the leadership of the State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) of dishonesty and misinformation.
Speaking to Journalists on the outcome of this week’s Exco meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, affirmed the present administration’s commitment to Pensioners’ welfare.
Prince Kanu emphasized that before the inception of Governor Alex Otti’s administration, Pension arrears had been largely neglected by previous administrations.
“What they were owed was almost forgotten until the inception of this Government. In line with the promises he (Dr. Otti) made during the campaigns and his compassionate disposition, the Governor decided to give a listening ear to pensioners.
“At the end of the day, they got a good deal. That was why 10 billion Naira was set aside”, Prince Kanu explained.
According to him, the Pensioners had initially proposed that the Governor forgo their arrears and instead ensure full and regular monthly payments.
He said that the Governor Otti however declined, and instead opted to offer an ex gratia payment to clear part of the outstanding debts.
“They had wanted His Excellency to wave whatever they were owed and be paid 100 percent of their monthly pensions. His Excellency said no. He felt for them and decided to give them what is regarded as ex gracia.
“So, the sum of 10 billion Naira was made available for that purpose and they went ahead to collect that money but surprisingly, not too long after these payments, we now started hearing stories of Government is owing this, Government is owing that.
“They went to the ridiculous extent by saying that they were deceived and you begin to wonder, who deceived them to sign documents they signed?”, Prince Kanu queried.
The Commissioner reaffirmed that since April 2023, the Otti administration has remained commitment to Pensioners’ welfare and ensured the full and regular payment of monthly pensions.
“Of course, 100 percent monthly pensions have been paid since April last year.
“So, we do believe that the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners in Abia State is not been honest at all in relation with our Pensioners.
“Our Pensioners, we know that most of them have served this state very well.
“They are good people but we believe they have a leadership that does not represent what they collectively stand for. We believe it would be nice for the public to know what the truth is,” Prince Kanu maintained.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, recalled the longstanding cordial relationship between Governor Otti and pensioners, dating back to his time as the opposition leader in the State.
“It is always good to put the records straight. Everybody knows our relationship with pensioners in the state starting from when we are in the opposition.
“We can’t deny suddenly that we never made promises or that we never had any relationship with them. We knew they were being owed but nobody imagined the magnitude”, Ekeoma noted.
He explained that while the Government initially estimated the pension arrears to be around ₦15 billion, further investigation revealed the actual debt exceeded ₦30 billion, alongside outstanding salary arrears for workers.
Mr Ekeoma said that a committee was set up to negotiate a payment plan, which resulted in the ₦10 billion ex gratia payment.
The Governor’s aide dismissed claims that the Government only settled half of nine months’ arrears, and criticized the NUP leadership for failing to act in the best interest of its members.
“The document they signed, they went home with and it stayed with them for 48 hours , they even made some adjustments and returned and suddenly you (NUP)are claiming that you were deceived.
“When these arrears were paid the Concerned Pensioners went to Church for Thanksgiving.
We know what transpired in the past, people were being compromised to keep quiet and they allowed it”, Ekeoma said.
He acknowledged that the financial challenges are enormous but assured that the Governor remains committed to fulfilling the financial responsibilities of the State.
