Abia State Government has assured pensioners in State that it is making conscious effort to ensure regular and consistent payment of pensions in the State.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu gave the assurance while addressing pensioners in the State under the aegis of Concerned Abia Pensioners, who staged a peaceful protest over their unpaid pensions.
The Governor represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Chris Ezem, while noting that pension is their right, added that no government would joke with the rights of its citizens.
He encouraged the pensioners to ensure their leadership engages government in dialogue before resorting to protest and
appealed to them to be patient with government.
Addressing the Pensioners earlier, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Aham Uko explained that the delay experienced in the payment of pensions was as a result of the identification of 4,422 irregular pensioners in the State,adding that the gratuities attached to the irregular names amounted to over 6 billion naira.
According to him, the state Government in liason with the Executives of Pensioners had to ensure that the irregular names were extricated before gratuity and pensions are paid.
“Abia State Government is not unmindful of your situation and we are working assiduously to address them.
“So far, with the support of your Executive, we have been able to extricate those irregular names on the payroll so that genuine Pensioners will not suffer”, the Commissioner said.
He disclosed that having concluded the excercise, payment of pensions in the State would henceforth be regular even as he disclosed that some pensioners have already started receiving their pensions.
The Commissioner identified
network challenge in some banks as part of the reason behind the non receipt of their pensions and assured that they would receive their pensions by Friday.
Earlier in his speech, the Coordinator, Concerned Abia Pensioners, Chief Emeka Okezie appealed to the State government to address the pathetic situation of the pensioners in the State including non harmonization of pension,unpaid gratuities and payment of their monthly pensions.
