Pensioners in Rivers State have appealed to Governor Nyesom Wike to approve the payment of the outstanding pension liabilities of N70 billion.

Mr. Wike on Wednesday said the state spends not less than N1.8 billion monthly for pensioners’ payment.

But Peoples Gazette findings reveal that Mr. Wike is owing a lot of pensioners’ gratuities and monthly pension despite the governor’s claim of paying pensioners.

A retiree who exited civil service after 35-year career told the Gazette on Friday that he had neither received gratuity nor pension since bowing out in September 2020 despite completing biometric documentation.

“Not even the monthly pension nor the gratuity has been paid me. Besides that, I wasn’t even paid my 4 years’ arrears as a director. I was still earning Deputy director’s salary from 2016 – 2020 until when I left”, the retiree who pleaded anonymity for fear of retribution lamented.

The Gazette in September reported how Mr. Wike ignored pensioners despite appeals to pay their pension and gratuities, preferring to splash state resources on exotic car gifts on state judges and lawmakers. Each of the cars was worth N50 million the Gazette reported.

In an open letter to the State Governor, the Nigerian Union of Pensioners urged  Governor Wike to consider their predicament and listen to their demands.
The letter jointly signed by chairman of the Rivers state chapter of the union, Collins Nwankwo and secretary, Joseph Agbo, said the government should not misconstrue payment of monthly pension to retirees already on payroll to mean all pension liabilities are cleared.

The union also stated that the governor has failed to pay gratuities and pension arrears since April 2015 to date and the six percent review of pension rates with Circular No. SWL/S10-1/S.164/289 dated 5th August, 2010

The union maintained that the Rivers State government is yet to implement the directive of the federal government for states to be responsible for the monthly pension allowance of primary school teachers.
“Since the coming of this administration, the state equally has not paid death benefits of deceased pensioners, that in effect means, that the state government is owing the dead and the living”, the letter stated.

“Presently, the state government owes more than N70 billion in pension liabilities,” the union stated.

The pensioners said they are not unaware of the financial burden of the state government because of what they called competing political demands on the state resources, but suggested they would be willing to accept instalmental payments.

“The drugs required by aged pensioners are expensive and can only be bought with money, even at Government Hospitals,” they said.