Pension: Retirees Accuse Imo Govt of Neglect, Lament Under Payment of Arrears -

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The hope of pensioners in Imo State of travelling home happily this Christmas period may have been dashed following a shocking “Bank Alert” from the Imo State Government.

Trumpeta was informed that despite the reassurance from the state Government that pensioners in Imo State will receive a heavy chunk of their pay, following Eight Billion Naira (N8B) wind fall from the federal Government, the story has turned bad for the senior citizens.

The pensioners who spoke to our reporter made it known that they were disappointed with Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who raised their moral by promising to pay them some of their arrears in the public, only to do another in the end.

An old pensioner who worked in the ministry of works said that the story making the rounds in Imo State owned media Houses is false as the pensioners are still languishing in pennry.

A Group of pensioners who also spoke to Trumpeta in one of the Banks at Ikenegbu layout, Owerri, said that they were called for verification exercise, which they said has become a compulsory matter every time.

After the verification exercise, they were asked to go home and wait for Alerts from the Banks.

However, about 3 am yesterday Alerts started rolling into their Handset, but behold, it was a shocker, as they claimed what entered their phones were 50 percent of one month salary of over Forty Five(45) month arrears owed some of them.

“We trusted the Governor, believed that he cannot tell his fathers and elder brothers otherwise. But see the amount somebody like me owed 40 months arrears received. Just 50% percent of my one month salary” Trumpeta was told.

However, Trumpeta noticed that despite their lamentations, most of the elderly statesmen qeued up to cash the cheques.

“My son, what can I do? I need to buy my Drugs. Therefore, I cannot refuse to collect the little thing that has entered my Account. If they don’t pay today certainly a regime that will respect us will one day come in Imo” the Elder statesmen told this Newspaper.

It would be recalled that Governor Okorocha had promised to keep four billion naira aside from federal government wind fall for the settlement of pensioners in Imo State.

But a source from Imo Government House said Imo pensioners have been paid, and said they ought to thank the Governor.