The Imo State Government has condemned the actions of some individuals who impersonated pensioners last Sunday and purported to beseech God to intervene in their plight.
The State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba, described the incident as unfortunate and an act of ingratitude by those who participated in the show of shame.
He noted that instead of eulogising Governor Hope Uzodimma for commencing the payment of gratuities after a 20-year gap, they chose to sell themselves to the enemies of the state.
“For over 20 years, we had governors who never paid them any kind of gratuities. Yet they never castigated them. But here is a governor who willingly decided to pay, and maybe has not paid everybody; you deride him with insults and ingratitude,” he regretted.
Emelumba said although the authentic union of pensioners had since dismissed the act of the impersonators as a charade, the government needed to make it clear that Uzodimma was alive to his responsibilities and would never abandon the senior citizens.
He debunked the allegation that payment of pensions was irregular, saying that no civil servant or pensioner is being owed in the state.
According to him, “Ever since His Excellency assumed office as governor of Imo State, no pensioner is being owed, same with civil servants.”
He said the governor undertook to pay gratuities in batches in view of the huge amount involved, including the payment of the highest minimum wage in Nigeria of N104,000.
He said it amounted to glorifying past leaders of the state who could not pay the gratuities by choosing to castigate the governor who decided to pay.
The commissioner said that, notwithstanding, Uzodimma would continue to discharge his obligations to workers and pensioners in the state.
He said the governor would also continue to pursue other welfare packages for pensioners, including the health insurance scheme introduced by his administration for senior citizens.
