By CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI — Scores of retired primary school teachers and staff of Imo State Universal Basic Education Board have protested non-payment of their pensions and other entitlements by the state government.

The senior citizens who defied the heavy rain and protested peacefully, processed from Owerri Municipal Council Headquarters along Douglas Road to Government House.

The grouse of the retirees, which was put together in a six-point statement by the state chairman and secretary, Chief R. O. Onyebarachi and Nze A. N. Amadi respectively, and addressed to Governor Rochas Okorocha, accused the state government of abandoning them to die of hunger and disease.

According to the senior citizens, their pension arrears as at September 2013, stood at 10 months, adding that they had not been paid the backlog of 12 years arrears of monthly pensions from 1992 to 2003, as well as the federal share from 1992 to 2013.

“We insist that the above debt be paid to us forthwith, while adequate arrangements be made on when to clear the protracted arrears therein”, the pensioners demanded.

However, the governor, who was driving out at the time the pensioners arrived Government House, addressed the protesters.