Why Anambra Pensioners Rejected Obiano’s Christmas Rice

Pensioners on the roll of the Anambra State civil service have rejected the annual Christmas rice package from the state government describing it as a Greek Gift given the government’s failure to pay gratuities to retired workers.

Rising from a meeting of the retirees the pensioners under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, asked the authorities to stop deceiving people with bags of rice whereas their entitlements were left behind.

Dr. Anthony Ugozor who is also chairman of the Nigeria Union Of Pensioners speaking on behalf of his colleagues said instead of the rice gift that their pensions, gratuities and other benefits should be paid.

“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.”

He added, “In 2010, there was a review of salary by way of N18, 000 minimum wage and the review did not affect pensioners. In 2015, there was another salary enhancement by the government of Anambra state for all workers and nobody remembered pensioners.”

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