Better Days Are Here For Pensioners In Delta State
*** God Will Use Pensioners To Do Wonders In The Life Of Oborevwori, His Administration –Retired Teacher
By Dennis Otu
For too long now pensioners across the country have been crying for the payment of their accrued rights. Many have died in the process of waiting to be paid and not a few are still in critical condition as a result of the delay in the payment of their pensions.
In oil-rich Delta State, the story is changing very fast, thanks to the recent N40 billion loan for pensions secured by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). The people friendly Governor of the State, His Excellency, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori gave the greenlight to the State Chapter of ALGON over the loan meant to bring succour to senior citizens who put in their best while in service.
Everything being equal, very soon the Pensioners will smile to the bank and be able to pick up their own bills rather than resorting to begging as it is the case in some other states in the country.
Only recently, Delta State Chairman of ALGON, Hon Victor Ebonka cleared the air on the N40 billion loan for pension. Giving a clarification on the loan after a meeting of the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) in Asaba, Hon Ebonka said it was not the State Government that was borrowing the funds as against reports published in a section of the media regarding the loan.
He made it clear that it was the statutory duty of Local Governments to pay pensions to its retirees as well as Local Education Authority (primary school retirees), saying the problem arose due to error in the enrollment of the workers into the contributory pension scheme.
“It is our constitutional responsibility to pay the Local Government staff and primary school teachers salaries.
“And we are not unmindful of the lingering problems that we have with regards to the pension benefits of the Local Government staff and that of the primary school teachers.
“This problem was inherited from the two previous administrations and it has to do with an error in the enrollment into the contributory pension scheme.
“And for this short comings, we have found ourselves owing their accrued rights from 2016 to date. The past administration set a machinery in motion and has tried to ensure that the debt is liquidated by giving several grants totaling about N5 billion and increased statutory contribution from N200 million a month to N500 million.
“Despite all these grants from the State Government, we have not been able to clear the outstanding arrears and this made the immediate past administration to set up a Committee comprising of myself the ALGON Chairman, the Head of Service and other stakeholders.
“The Committee went to the bond market to get a facility but was not successful because the cost of funds was quite expensive. So we approached the commercial bank to get the facility and we can say that Zenith Bank has agreed to afford us N40 billion out of the N51 billion indebted to the pensioners”.
He said the State Government did not borrow N40 billion as reported in some quarters, adding that the only role played by the State Government was to give approval and forward same to the State Assembly for ratification.
“So it is exclusively the Local Government Councils that are borrowing this money. You know that by law, we need the approval of the State Government and the ratification of the State Assembly and that was sort for and it was granted by the Governor and approved by the State House of Assembly.
“So any moment from now, the pensioners will smile home. We also want to state that no penny from the N40 billion is going to the coffers of the Local Governments.
“We are going to cover about ninety percent of the accrued rights from this money, all of the monies will be paid directly to the pensioners,” he said.
Mr John Egie is a retired teacher and beaming with smiles that have long disappeared from his face and a sea of other pensioners gave the state Governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori a pat on the back over the welfare of pensioners in the state. He described the nod given by the Governor and ratification by the State House of Assembly as a welcome development.
In his words; “Well, it is good news for the pensioners who survived the long wait of over six years before the gratuities are finally coming home. One would reserve serious comments until the money hits the accounts of the pensioners in order to express gratitude to the governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori”.
“You see, if at last we are paid, which in faith we believe would work out, there would be series of true Thanksgiving to God who helped us to survive the hardship of the past years. The hardship led to the death of many retirees and others who suffered so much molestation from members of the public that never had a bit of sympathy and empathy on the suffering retirees. For me my experience will better be stated in a memoir. Governor Oborevwori has grabbed the golden opportunity that he saw to enhance the payment that is going to make our senior citizens to be happy once again
“Let me tell you, once pensioners start receiving alerts, mark my words which come out in prophecy, once they start receiving alerts, check on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and see the wonders God will do in his life and his administration”, the retired teacher said.
And truly, the retired teacher must have spoken the minds of several of his colleagues. And the waiting game for the payment may not be too far away again.
Dennis Otu is the Senior Special Assistant (Media) To The Delta State Governor.
