Imo state governor, Mr Hope Uzodinma
By Jennifer John
Imo state government has promised to pay pension arrears after pensioners in the state converged on some streets in the state capital begging for alms.
Secretary to State Government, Mr Cosmas Iwu, said the retirees will be paid their entitlement latest Friday 26 June.
Iwu while addressing the pensioners
said the reason for the delay was the processes being undergone to fish out ghost names on the pension payroll.
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“So many people were involved, so many complaints were received. One shocking revelation was that some people who claim to be pensioners have no record of service; date of employment, retirement and other required records”.
The SSG however informed that the process of sorting out and detecting the fraudsters have been concluded and promised that the pensioners will receive their payment within the week.
Fielding questions from newsmen during the process, the Chairman Pension Intervention Committee, Imo State, Comrade Iyke Ohalete said they were begging for alms to help them feed, since the state government has refused to pay them.
Ohalete said they will continue the begging spree as long as the government continue to delay in paying them.
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Also adding her voice, one of the pensioners Mrs Elizabeth Ude said they want government to pay them their pension so they can sustain themselves.
“We are hungry, we have not been paid since March 2020. This is not government money, it is our money that was deducted during our active service. We are not even talking about our gratuity which is the bulk of the money, which runs into millions”.
