Demand immediate, Unconditional Release Of Fund To Clear Pension Arrears
By Godwin-Maria Utuedoye
Retired primary school teachers in Delta State have staged a protest at the Delta State Government house in Asabab on Monday, to press down their demand for the unconditional release of fund by the state government to clear the backlog of money owed to the retired teachers in the state since 2015.
The retired teachers who were at Government House Asaba with placards bearing different inscription such ;’ Okowa, man without conscience, Delta State Goverment we are dying and many more, barricaded the Anwai Road leading to lockdown of vehicular movements along the route.
Their demand was that the State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, should release the funds meant to pay up the retirees without delay.
Speaking to news men, Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Okenmor Tilije admitted that the Pensioners are being owed but that the Government had earlier released the sum of 2.5 billion Naira to pay up their arrears, but alleged that the protest was Politically motivated by the opposition Party APC, to tarnish the image of the Governor who is running for the Vice President under PDP in the 2023 election.
On his part, Chairman Local Government Bureau, Mr Igoh Ben disclosed that over 5,000 retired teachers are owed to the sum of 55 billion Naira and the Government had announced the release of 2.5 billion Naira only which can only clear the gratuity of about 342 retired teachers out of over 5,000 members.
But he over noted that the Government is in talks with a financial institution for a partnership-loan to raise fund for the payment of Pensions and gratuity but couldn’t give a substantive date and full assurance of Solution to end the continuous protests.
The Chairman of the Association of Contributory Retirees, Hon. Chief Mrs Helen Chionye Ejieh while responding to questions from journalists, explained that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has taken them for granted despite their peaceful composition in demanding for their rights as senior citizens who had served the state for 35years and in those years, their gratuity and Pension was been deducted from their salary’s.
She imagined how the Governor and his cabinets could resort to blackmailing them of being sponsored by a Political Party. She maintained that the retired teachers are not thugs that can be used for Political gains and wondered why the State Governor could be hiding from the truth and deceiving the general public with false information. She also asked the public to ask Governor Okowa to pay up the Retirees or arrest them for being politically motivated if his claim is true.
The retired teachers resolved to continue their Protest until everyone is paid their gratuity and Pension and rained curses on the government led by Okowa Ifwanyi.