By Emem Idio

YENAGOA—FOR over three hours, retirees of Bayelsa State Government under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, yesterday, took to the streets of Yenagoa, the state capital, before barricading the gate of the Government House, demanding the payment of their gratuities and pension arrears.

The pensioners, most of them aged and looking frail, began the demonstration from St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, and carried placards with various inscriptions to drive home their demands.

Some of the inscriptions read Pensioners are dying every day, please pay us our gratuities; Dickson, be good to pensioners if you want to live long; Dickson we are tired of your neglect; Dickson no second term, among others.

The state Chairman of NUP, Chief Emmanuel Namatebe, claimed that the state governor had reneged on his promise that any civil servant going on retirement from 2012 would go home with his benefits fully paid.

He said: “Governor Seriake Dickson promised in one of his transparency briefing that N250 million would be released as compulsory savings to offset payment of gratuities and pension arrears with effect from April, 2012, but that is not feasible.

“All other entitlements, such as minimum wage arrears and 15 percent, are yet to be paid. He has also refused to grant us audience since he became governor.”