Pensioners in Imo State are crying foul over a form said to have emanated from the Imo State government that will compel them to forfeit a huge chunk of their pensions.
One of such forms seen by this newspaper shows that a pensioner will sign the forms which states that based on the current economic situation and circumstance in the country, they collected their full pension when in real sense, they only collected a small percentage of it.
No official of the state government agreed to confirm or dispel the story to this newspaper. The state government has severally echoed that it has paid substantial part of pension arrears to Imo State pensioners through the bail- out funds.
Pensioners in the state have severally protested over irregular payment of pensions by the state government. More than thrice, they stormed Government House, Owerri to protest over what they described government’s insensitivity to their plight.
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha had told journalists at the NUJ Press Centre last month that his government used the bailout funds from the Federal Government for Imo State to clear arrears of pensioners in the state.
Some of the pensioners, such as that of Imo State Broadcasting Corporation, IBC, had lamented over non payment of pensions for over 60 months.