*BY CHIDI OSUJI*
Pensioners for the umpteenth time took to the streets of Owerri, Imo State capital on Thursday where they alleged a rip off in the payment of their pensions.
The pensioners who carried placards with various inscriptions alleged non payment of pensions for 73 months, urging the State government to at least pay them three months of their pension arrears.
Spokesman of the pensioners, Sam Orjiakor, who spoke to newsmen at the Government House Round about, said they had no option than to resort to protest because of Government’s insensitivity to their plight
“ It may interest you to know that there are pensioners owed 43 months , 45 months and 50 months , respectively. But the highest is 73 months . This is not laughable at all. How can the government pay us just one-third of one month pension out of the several months owed us?”
“ We are aware that the Federal Government released N12 .6 bn to the Imo State Government for the payment of all pensions and gratuities . Out of the huge amount released , the state government only brought N6 bn for the payment of all pensions and gratuities . But to our chagrin, it only paid one -third of one month out of the several months it owes us .
Orjiakor added that the protest came about following alerts they received from banks on Wednesday night, stating that the bank alerts showed that they were only paid one third of a month’s stipend out of the several months owed them