By Vincent Ujumadu

PENSIONERS in Anambra State who retired since 2017 have not been paid their gratuities, even as many of them have died without being paid. The state branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, has consistently been lamenting over the development and engaging the state government on the matter to no avail.

Although ex-workers are paid monthly pensions, the hope of every worker at retirement, which is the gratuity, has remained outstanding in the state. Apart from non-payment of gratuities, the organized labour in the state has also been worried about the reluctance of the state government to harmonize pensions in the state.

The state chairman of NUP, Anthony Ugozor, at every given opportunity, decries the plight of pensioners in the state. At a recent interaction in Awka, Ugozor said the two issues remained a sour taste among retired workers in the state.

Although he commends the state government for regular payment of pensions, he lamented that people who left the service hoping to use their gratuities to start a new life have been made to suffer like destitute.

Ugozor said: “One serious worry is that the gratuity of pensioners for the past five years is yet to be paid. The union very sincerely urges the government to commence gradual liquidation of such arrears of gratuity to avoid accumulation to unreasonable magnitude.

“Also, one of the greatest embarrassments of Anambra State pensioners remains the non harmonization of pension as there is great disparity in payment of monthly pensions to retirees on the same grade level and step, simply because some retired earlier than others.

“There is therefore the need to make all counter[1]parts be at par with each other because they served the same government. “At present a pensioner who retired 10 years ago receives less than 50 percent of what his counterpart who retired in 2020, for instance, receives.

“Furthermore, it is on record that for more than four years now, 2002 and 2003 primary school pen[1]sioners have been weeping and appealing for payment of their 11 months outstanding arrears of their pension approved for payment in March 2014 by former Governor Peter Obi.

11 months arrears The Union very appeals to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to direct immediate payment of the 11 months arrears”. Vanguard recalls that the then state Head of Service, Mr. Harry Udu, had said that government was desirous of liquidating the arrears of gratuity, explaining that the delay was due to paucity of funds.

“Government enjoys ro[1]bust relationship with workers, serving and retired. We have our challenges but the government has at least ensured regular payment of salaries and pensions. “We hope to pay the outstanding gratuities when resources improve. I want to assure you that the issue of gratuity is not forgotten.

“For now, we are studying to know whether it is something government can handle. Payment of gratuity is a constitutional matter, but whether we can carry it at this period is another matter”, he had told Vanguard.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who inherited the unpaid gratuities, is yet to look in that direction and it is understandable because of the enormous security challenges facing his administration. For now, the state pensioners are patiently waiting for his intervention.

Apart from the above category of pensioners, local government health pensioners sometime ago instituted a legal action against the state’s Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) over unpaid 60 per[1]cent Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) entitlement approved for them by the state government in January, 2015.

Chairman of the local government pensioners in the state, Mr. Ralph Okoye demanded that the entitlements should be paid with 24 percent annual cumulative interest and 13 percent cumulative annual inflationary recompense from January, 2015 till the case is determined.