Group of Pensioners in Rivers call Wike to pay their arrears and gratuities

*Commends government for  abrogating an obnoxious Pension Law that denied retirees their benefits

BY DANIEL EFE

Amidst the controversies surrounding the recent approval granted to Governor Nyesom Wike to secure N18billion loan by the Rivers State lawmakers to build a Flyover and expand some roads, some Pensioners are appealing to the state government to pay their arrears and gratuities.

File photo of Pensioners waiting to be captured in the Civil Service Biometrics data

In a press Statement by the 2012 – 2019 group of Retirees of Rivers State Civil Service they are appealing to the  Governor  Wike to alleviate their suffering by paying their pension arrears and gratuities.

According to a statement signed by the Coordinator of the group 2012 – 2019 retirees, Lucky  Ati, they said  that most of the problems of these retirees were caused by the previous administrations in the state that enacted the contributory pension law without preparation and plans for the implementation of the scheme thereby plunging the retirees into untold hardship.

However, the retirees commended the Governor for the abrogation and amendment of pension laws by subsequent biometric exercise and payment of monthly pension to others.
They appealed to the Governor to make  provision for budgetary allocation by increase funding for death benefits, gratuities and allowance to mitigate the harrowing experiences faced by these senior citizens.

The Senior Citizens, who are frail and aged and had put in the mandatory 35 years in service also commended the impressive developmental works of the Rivers state Governor in Infrastructural development, security, health and education.