The Anambra State retirees have rejected the annual bags of rice given to them by the state governor, Willie Obiano, saying all they want is their retirement benefits paid or nothing else. As per them, the bags of Rice given to them every Christmas was a ”Greek gift”.
Dr Anthony Ugozor, the state chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, who spoke to journalists on behalf of other pensioners in the state on Wednesday 9th December, stated that the last gratuity that was paid to them was in 2017. He made it known that if they were paid their gratuity, they will have no need to be collecting bags of rice from the state government every year and that they will have enough money to buy the type of rice they want.
In his words...
“They give us rice at the end of every year, but the gift of rice is not constitutional. It is a gift which the government is not mandated to give.
If the pension is reviewed as and when due and harmonisation done as it should be done and arrears paid when it is supposed to be paid and we are not given rice, we will be more comfortable because we will have enough money to buy the type of rice we want and still have enough money to attend to other needs.
It is unfortunate that once somebody retires in Nigeria, he is regarded as deadwood because we can neither embark on strike nor give the government an ultimatum. The only thing we can do is to go on a hunger strike, which is even detrimental to our health.
Everything government is doing concerning pensioners is mere pretence and exploitative and that is why I say that no government is a true lover of pensioners, be it federal, state, or local government.”
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