Abia Pensioners Deny Forfeiting Gratuities and Pensions to State Government

The Abia Pensioners Forum disputes claims that their gratuities and pensions were forfeited, urging the state to address outstanding arrears.

The Abia Pensioners Forum has strongly denied claims that they forfeited their gratuities and pensions to the state government. The group, which represents retirees across the state, expressed concerns over the narrative that their benefits had been relinquished, calling it false and misleading. Speaking on behalf of the forum, Coordinator Okey Kanu emphasized that the Abia pensioners deny forfeiting pensions, urging Governor Alex Otti to revisit the issue of unpaid pensions and gratuities.

Addressing the media in Umuahia on Wednesday, Kanu revealed that the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), which allegedly signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the government, had no mandate from the pensioners to forfeit their long-awaited entitlements. The forum also accused the NUP of concealing the agreement from Abia pensioners until recently.

While the Abia pensioners deny forfeiting pensions, they also acknowledged Governor Otti’s efforts to regularize current pension payments. However, they stressed that pension arrears inherited from previous administrations remain unpaid, contrary to claims made by the state government. The group called for the publication of accurate figures concerning the unpaid arrears.

The forum has proposed that if the present administration is unable to clear the outstanding payments in full, it should consider installment payments or allow future administrations to address the backlog. Kanu, who is a lawyer, expressed disappointment at the suggestion that retirees’ entitlements had been forfeited based on an MoA, calling the situation “devastating and unacceptable.”

The Abia pensioners deny forfeiting pensions and have reached out to prominent figures such as Peter Obi, as well as religious leaders from the Catholic, Anglican, and Methodist churches, requesting their intervention to ensure that retirees’ rights are fully respected and honored.