PENSIONS: IMO GOVERNMENT LEVIES RETIRES, ISSUES THEM FRESH FORMS

The resolution of the problems of Imo State pensioners may not be at sight as the state government has dealt them another blow.

As a way of ensuring that welfare of pensioners are handled at the grassroots, the state government appointed State and ward co-ordinators for easy reach but unfortunately these co- ordinators have now turned to machineries to milk the pensioners.

Currently, the pensioners are now subjected to fill a certain form entitled “Imo State Senior Citizens Volunteerism” in which among information to be supplied include date of birth, next of keen, two passports and a fee of three hundred naira with which to return the forms at the various Wards.

Trumpeta investigation reveals that even the sum with which to return the forms is not uniform. In Owerri West LGA ward ten, the pensioners are levied four hundred naira while in ward four Ngurunweke, Aboh Mbaise LGA, pensioners are returning their forms with the sum of three hundred naira. The situation is the same at the Owerri Municipal Council.

Meanwhile, yesterday (Thursday, 8th Feb) a body under the aegis of Imo State Citizens Forum ( ISCF) with the objective of speaking for Pensioners met with the Commissioner in charge of Pensions, SA on Pensioners, Director of Pensions for a dialogue.