Dons Eze
HOW ENUGU LOCAL GOVT PENSIONERS GRAPPLE WITH UNPAID PENSIONS, GRATUITIES
Retired Enugu state local government workers lament two years arrears of pension. In addition, Enugu State government has not paid gratuities to retired state and local government workers for over a decade
The state Governor, Mr. Peter Mbah has inaugurated a committee to ascertain the true position of things with a view to paying backlog of pension, gratuities
Peter Nwudeh has been sick for over two months now. His doctor at Bishop Shanahan, Nsukka Enugu State, had requested that he takes his drugs regularly to avoid worsening his health condition. He has been suffering from aging- related sicknesses.
But, Peter, a retired primary school teacher, has no money to buy his drugs. He retired from Enugu state Universal Basic Education Board, ENSUBEB about seven months ago and his pension is yet to be paid.
He has to stay for the next 18 months before he will start receiving his pension. When he went to one of the microfinance banks in Nsukka, Enugu State, where his salary was domiciled to obtain salary advance to sort out his health issue, he was reminded that until his pension started coming to the bank, he is not eligible for such finance assistance.
Pained by this ugly situation, Mr. Nwuudeh, a retired grade level 16 and headmaster had no choice than to sell his only motorbike at a giveaway price to buy his drugs and sort out other needs.
The situation of Mr. Peter Nsude is a clear definition of the plight of pensioners especially local government pensioners which comprises primary school teachers, administrators and local government staff in Enugu state.
Findings showed that many of whom that couldn’t sort out their health issue and other pressing needs have continued to die everyday in Enugu state.
Our reporter gathered that on retirement, the retiree has to wait for the next two years before he/she starts receiving pension.
On the issue of gratuity, it has become a kind of taboo that for over two decades, no pensioner especially that of local government has been gratuity in the state.
Our reporter visited one of the pensioners, Stella Odo who retired as a head teacher one of the primary schools and she narrated her inexplicable ordeals.
“I retired in November 2020, but I started receiving my pension in November 2022. It took me a whole two years before I saw my first pension.”
Asked why there was such delay, Mrs. Odo explained that ” this is because the state government is owing the pensioners two years arrears of pension. So, if you retire this month, being April 2024, you have to wait for the next two years when they will have paid up to April 2024. As I speak with you, I received my March 2022 pension two weeks ago.”
On how she has been surviving without her pension for two years, she narrated that ” it has not been easy. I teach at one private school where they pay me N20,000. But of course you know this is not enough. My rent is N300,000 annually and it is subject to upward review by my landlord.”
Explaining further Mrs. Odo said that ” for those in Post Primary Schools Management Board, PPSMB, and Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Board, STVSMB in the state, their case is quite different. If any of their staff members retires today, the next month, the said retiree will start his or her pension. Why our own is different, we don’t know. They keep on telling us that our fund comes directly from Federal government. They also told us that we are not state government staff.”
In any case, another pensioner Mr. Fidelis Ugwueze said his children could no longer go to school because he could not afford to pay their school fees.
According to Mr. Ugwueze, ” I have three children currently in the university. But for the help of my in-laws, my children would have come back from their respective schools.”
Lamenting further, Mr. Ugwueze told our reporter that ” none of my children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren will ever be local government staff nor primary school teacher. Sometimes I see myself as being useless or having wasted my youthful years as primary school teacher. Imagine me not being able to train my children in school.”
However, in August 2023, the Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, has inaugurated the Committee on Verification and Payment of Outstanding Pensions and Gratuities to retirees.
The seven-man committee is chaired by the secretary to the state government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, and has the head of service, Kenneth Ugwu; accountant-general of the state, Mr. Anthony Okenwa; and special adviser to the governor on public finance management, Prof. Obiamaka Egbo, as members.
Others are the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Ben Asogwa; state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Fabian Nwigbo and the chairman, Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Ezekiel Omeh.
Inaugurating the committee at the Government House, Enugu, Governor Mbah said the step was in keeping with his campaign promise to clear pension and gratuity arrears, adding that the combined effects of the payments of the arrears and the normal monthly pensions and gratuities would inject billions of naira into the state’s economy on a monthly basis.
According to Barr. Mbah, “In line with our campaign promise and in order to help cushion the immediate and short-term effects of the removal of subsidy, I am more than happy and it is my honour to inaugurate this Committee on Verification and Payment of Outstanding Pensions and Gratuities to State Retirees charged with the following terms of references: “determine and verify outstanding two-month pension arrears to state retirees; determine and verify the outstanding gratuities owed to state retirees; conduct all payments according to months and years of retirement of officers from service; and render monthly and quarterly reports to the Secretary to the State Government in respect of all payments.
“We did say that our vision is to eradicate poverty in Enugu State. And we are also mindful that in order for us to achieve that, we must target policies that are designed to get to our vulnerable ones and we believe that the best way to deal with the tensions and fragilities is by making sure that we deal with the root causes of insecurity.
“And for us, that means that we have to ensure that there are sufficient funds being injected into the system that can cascade down and our people will have purchasing power.
“We also know that the recent policy of the government removing subsidy on petroleum products will certainly have some impacts on our most vulnerable ones.
“It is therefore the state government’s policy to ensure that we put in place measures – immediate, short, medium, and long-term measures – that address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy.
“For us in Enugu State, we believe that the best way to achieve that is to ensure that our vulnerable ones, our retirees, have access to funds to buy things and maintain a reasonable and dignifying standard of living,” he said.
Since the institution of the committee, no visible action has been taken to address the gigantic backlog of unpaid pensions and gratuities in the state.
Reacting to the inauguration of the committee, one of the local government retirees, Mr. George Omeke said he surprised that none of the local government workers was in the committee.
Lamenting further, Omeke, a retired local government health worker stated that “it is now a taboo to work in the local government system.
“The governor of Enugu state instituted a committee to verify non payments of pensions and gratuity to state retirees and never included LG and primary school pensioners in that committee. No body is representing local government or LG pension Board.“What is the governor thinking about this group please God where are you? We were once productive to this state and meritoriously improved the economy of the state. But we have been abandoned to die.”
