Abia pensioners now have cause to smile as the Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has promised to bring them ‘à par’ with the civil servants in the State in the area of backlog payments. The Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu disclosed the cheering news today during a meeting he held with the State pensioners.
Dr. Ikpeazu stated that bringing them ‘à par’ with the workers was a way of paying back to pensioners, who have shown great understanding with his administration, especially in this period of economic challenges in the State and described the pensioners as repositories of knowledge.
He maintained that the essence of meeting with them was to bridge the gap between the State government and the pensioners, stressing that he owes them the responsibility of rendering stewardship as the State Governor.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Obinna Oriaku informed that the State government has taken some reforms in the payment of pensions as biometric data of the pensioners were captured and they now get their payments through their bank accounts, thereby relieved of the pains of waiting unnecessarily at different sub-treasuries.
He urged them to exercise patience with the government as the economic realities have not favoured government, promising that government would continue to do everything to make life better for them.
The Commissioner disclosed that the State has signed the Contributing Pension Funds, which would help the current status of pensions in the State.
Responding, the Chairman, Abia State Council of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Chukwu Udensi appreciated the Governor for assembling them.
He mentioned the different months of arrears of pensions and gratuities the State has been owing them for years and expressed confidence that the Governor would keep to his promise, even as he assured him that the pensioners would ensure he is re-elected.
In a vote of thanks, Chief Hope Onyekwere appreciated Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for the meeting. Chief Onyekwere requested that a committee on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) be set up to reinvigorate the IGR of the State to enable the Governor meet up with the financial challenges of governance.
