Benue Concerned Pensioners Protest Non-payment of Benefits

Pensioners under the aegis of "Concerned Pensioners Association, Benue State" have staged peaceful walkout to draw Governor Hyacinth Alia's attention to the alleged non payment of their benefits.

The old men and women who spoke to journalists on what they refer to as "Governor Alia abandoned of us soon after his election in 2023" lamented that notwithstanding the purchase of expression of interest and nomination forms for Alia to contest in the 2027 general elections and return as Governor, their concerns were allegedly not addressed as required.

They alleged that government has not paid pension arrears, outstanding gratuities and asked why "barely months after contributing the funds to purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms for the second-term bid" Alia seemingly appeared indifferent to the painful absence for their wellbeing?"

Chairman of the association, Comrade Alexis Akosu, said pensioners had exhausted all avenues of dialogue with the government and left without any option to ventilate their grievances, therefore took to the streets to let the world know of the challenges for survival they face in Nigeria! 

He said "we are protesting the non-payment of gratuities that dated back to year 2000, the pension arrears of 38 months for state pensioners and 62 months for local government retirees including the failure of government to harmonize the pensions as provided in Section 210 of the 1999 Constitution."

According to the Chairman, some pensioners in the state still receive as low as N2,000 monthly despite the approved benchmark for the minimum pension payment. 

Describing the situation as "inhumane and unsustainable" Akosu added "we have exhausted every avenue for dialogue without success and our demands must be met or we die. We are tired of dying in silence."

He alleged that many retirees had died due to their inability to afford medications and basic necessities of life and that others were reduced to begging and scavenging for survival! 

Alleging also that gratuities have remained unpaid from 2000 till date, Akosu stated "some of those who retired in 2000 are yet to receive their gratuities. Our pensions date back to 2003, 2008 and 2012 at the state and local government levels, yet not paid."

He lamented that since some pensioners receive as little as N2,000 monthly pension, the payment cannot purchase anything to live in the period for survival! "He asked "how can the person with family survive on N2,000.00 monthly pension?"

The Chairman urged the state government to implement the pension harmonization earlier assured after approval of the new minimum wage.

Reminding Governor Alia of

pensioners' support for his emergence in 2023 where he promised allegedly to clear off the pension arrears and gratuity backlogs within 100 days on assuming of office the Chairman claimed that pensioners did everything humanly possible to ensure that Alia became Governor. He said "after three years, the promises have remained unfulfilled."

Akosu expressed rage on the government's alleged inability to meet pensioners demands that the said failure would nullify decision by pensioners to purchase the forms if the expected outcomes did not manifest useful results for the wellbeing of pensioners!

He said "we have regretted the decision. We bought the forms with the hope that it would encourage him to pay what belongs to us, but Alia has turned blind eye to our sufferings. We thought of the support to remind him of our plight but instead we have continued to suffer."

Akosu denied that the protest was aimed at blackmailing the government and clarified that some payments had been made, yet not significantly comparable to outstanding liabilities the government has against the pensioners.

He said "what annoys is the failure to implement pension harmonization and once the pensions are harmonized and paid correctly on every month, nobody will complain again." 

Akosu clarified "many retired permanent secretaries left the service years ago still receive about N20,000 on monthly basis while their counterparts who retired later receive more than N300,000. Look at the difference, this is injustice." 

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the National Human Rights Commission, the international human rights organisations and Nigeria's First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu for intervention in the crisis that affects the retirees in Benue State.

Other pensioners who spoke included a retired Director of Administration and Finance, Solomon Bumkeng, Mrs Juliana, Chris Adzuaga and Emmanuel Ekoja.

They accused government of abandoning and said the association was excluded from the promise of health insurance benefits and they described the situation as "violation of their rights and dignity of the elderly citizens." 

They vowed to continue with the demands till government addressed the issues raised by retirees across the state.