Retired local government workers and their primary school counterparts in Enugu State are being owed about twenty months’ arrears of pensions. Their gratuities were last paid in 2005. This report interrogates their plights, the cause of the non-payment overtime, and the challenge before the state government.
I feel I’m useless – retiree
Chukwuma Arua retired as a primary school teacher in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State. He retired about ten years ago. Arua told THE WHISTLER that, “With my seven children and wife literally fending for themselves, I feel I am useless. I am sick as you can see. I’m diabetic. I was also diagnosed with an enlarged prostrate. My children and wife wake up everyday to do all manners of menial jobs for our feeding. If I am healthy, I would have been looking for other sources to feed my family.”
Malachy Eze is about seventy-five years old. He retired from Udi LGA. He said, “Our case is special. Most civil servants should be afraid of retirement if they see how miserable local government retirees are. I
have a nagging waist pain that has crippled me. I can’t do anything useful. It is a hopeless situation for somebody like me to find myself in a condition that I can’t even train my children. My ailment
worsened because I couldn’t afford the required medical bills. The government is simply not sensitive to our plights. It is as bad as that.”
Malachy Eze is about seventy-five years old. He retired from Udi LGA. He said, “Our case is special. Most civil servants should be afraid of retirement if they see how miserable local government retirees are. I
have a nagging waist pain that has crippled me. I can’t do anything useful. It is a hopeless situation for somebody like me to find myself in a condition that I can’t even train my children. My ailment
worsened because I couldn’t afford the required medical bills. The government is simply not sensitive to our plights. It is as bad as that.”
We’re Praying – Pensioners
The chairman of the state retired local government employees is Mr Simon Abugu. He said, “We are being paid in arrears. We started pleading even before the new government of Barr Peter Mbah came on board. It seems other administrations did not have the political will to settle the pensioners. It is not that the money isn’t there. The new governor has stated that he is after eradicating poverty in the state, which was part of his campaign. Of course, poverty won’t be eradicated without taking care of pensioners. We are praying that we are remembered. We beg the governor because it has become complex. Some of us retired for over twenty months without collecting a dime as pension. Many of us are sick; some are incapacitated. We really need help.”
The root problems – Unionist Explains
Comrade Mathias Okpe was a unionist before he retired as a local government worker. He said, “The problem is that retired LGA workers and primary school teachers’ pensions are paid from the statutory
contributions of various LGAs in the state. But it is not effective. It makes pension payments not to be government’s first-line charge. We want pensions released from the state Joint Account Committee, not
subjecting us to what is contributed by LGAs. I heard that LGAs contribute about N300m monthly, which is a far-cry from about N400m which is required to settle pensioners monthly. That is why they will
pay for two months, and then skip a month to complete the next month. Let JAC earmark our money before they share allocations.”
I suspect insincerity – Accountant
A retired accountant, on condition of anonymity, attributed the delayed pension payments to insincerity. According to him, “In the past, after verifications, we are paid. But presently, after verifications, and if anybody is found to have died, the authorities will stop the victim’s pensions there and then, without clearing the arrears owed the deceased before he or she passed on. Once a pensioner is confirmed dead, the name is removed from the list. What happens to what was owed him before his death? This is fraud. It means the verification is basically to know how many have died. Many have died, and it doesn’t reflect on our welfare. The money recovered from their exit ought to make our payments more regular.
“Again, the state primary school management board receives subventions from LGAs. When a teacher retires, the retiree’s pension payment is transferred to the state Local Government Staff Pensions Board without any contributions from the primary school board that receives subventions from LGA allocations. This makes the number of retirees swell while the allocations remain constant. Enugu State Universal
Basic Education Board has money in excess, but unwilling to fund our pensions. Let them take care of primary school retirees, not pushing them to the LG staff pensions board without funding from ENSUBEB.”
It’ll Not Be Well With Masterminds Of Our Woes – Pensioner
Mazi Emenike Enebe is from Agbani, Nkanu West LGA. He said those behind the degrading plights of pensioners in the state must pay the price. In his words, “Those that contribute to our downfall will
regret it. Already, most of them are suffering it. None of them was given any appointment in the state by the new government. They shouldn’t. Let them rest to see what applicants see.”
Ex-Pensions Board Chairman Explains
Nana Ogbodo headed the state Local Government Staff Pensions Board under ex-governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. He explained that, “When Ugwuanyi’s administration came in 2016/2017, there was the Paris Club refund. Gov Ugwuanyi devoted the state’s intervention wholesomely to the payment of arrears of gratuities, pensions and salaries. Gratuity was paid last in Enugu State in 2001, before Ugwuanyi’s administration. That means the administration before the last one did not pay up its tenure. The one that succeeded it did not pay anything at all. But Gov Ugwuanyi went back to 2001 to pay from it, which he paid up to five years. Arrears of leave allowances were about 10 years, and he cleared them.