Pensioners receive gratuities after 26 years, seek outstanding payments

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah

The first batch of pensioners in Enugu State, whose gratuities cover 2000 to 2015, have started receiving their payments after 26 years of waiting, even as they urged Governor Peter Mbah to ensure that the second and third tranches are paid immediately.

The Chairman of the Enugu State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Mr Ikechukwu Ekere, who disclosed in Enugu on Tuesday, said the payment followed the governor’s announcement of releasing N32bn to clear the backlog of gratuities owed since 2000.

Ekere said, “The first batch of pensioners covering 2000 to 2015 are now receiving their gratuities after 26 years. We are thanking His Excellency, the Governor of Enugu State, for coming out with this issue because this thing has lingered for almost 26 years. All the past administrations; none listened to us. But since Mbah came to power, he has been carrying us along.

“Since June 2024, every pensioner in Enugu State, both parastatal, local government and state civil service, have been receiving their pension as at when due. On gratuity, he brought out N32bn to clear the backlog owed since 2000. For those in civil service, we started two weeks ago. The first tranche covers 2000 to 2015. For local government, we started last week, and the money covers 2000 to 2010.”

The NUP chairman, however, urged the governor not to delay the remaining tranches, saying pensioners who have waited for decades should not be made to wait longer.

“Our prayer is that His Excellency fulfils his promise that the payment will go in three tranches. The first tranche is ongoing. Our plea is that the second and third tranches should be paid immediately so that those from 2016 downwards will also smile. We hope that by the end of this month, the second tranche will start,” he said.

Ekere dismissed insinuations that the payment was politically motivated, insisting that pensioners were only interested in receiving what they suffered for.

“I am not a politician. What do we need as pensioners if it is for election? Let us have our money. The former governor promised this before the election. The immediate past governor promised this to pensioners the year he took over, but he did not do anything. He left.

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“If it is for politics, let him be. Our own is that he has listened to the cry of the pensioners and has started paying us our pension and gratuity.

Whether politics or no politics, we are happy that we are getting what we suffered for after 35 years.”

He noted that the payments had brought relief to families who previously supported pensioners financially.

“Some of us; if you are not a pensioner, your brother, or your father, or your sister, or your relation, or your friend is a pensioner. Before this payment, maybe you have been helping the person to pay some bills. But now, the person will not come to worry you again. So, we are thanking him, whether it is for politics or no politics,” Ekere said.

On pensioners who died before receiving their entitlements, he said, “I cannot say for sure how many have died because there is death every day. But those that have died, may their souls rest in peace. Their next of kin came and they were paid. Our pain is that they did not receive their entitlement for what they suffered for. It is other people that are now going to receive it.”