Hundreds of pensioners on Monday marched to the Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers State to register their grievance over non-payment of monthly allowance and non-harmonisation of pensions estimated at N3 billion from 2003 till date.
The senior citizens, who protested under the aegis of Nigeria Union Pensioners (NUP), lamented that they had lost some of their members due to hardship, calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to look into their predicament.
A statement issued by the state’s Chairman and Secretary , Comrades Edward Festus-Abibo and J. J. Agbo respectively and made available to The Newswriter reiterated their position that the Amaechi administration had not been fair to them.
They threatened to boycott this month’s general elections, if government failed to address their needs, adding that the governorship candidates in the state should also address their issues.
They said: “We, the pensioners numbering about 11,000, felt very aggrieved by the actions of the Rivers State government headed by Governor Chibuike Amaechi over non-harmonisation of pensions from 2003 to date valued at over N3 billion; non-payment of monthly pension allowance for November to December 2014, and January, 2015.
Responding on behalf of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Permanent Secretary, Government House, Fortune Oguru, assured them that their requests would be channelled to the appropriate quarters.
