Pensioners in Rivers State have accused the Rivers State Government of subjecting them to untold hardship despite making budgetary provisions for them in the State Appropriation Act of 2019 and 2020.  

They called on the State Government to pay them their gratuities and pension arrears,which have remained unpaid for about six years now.

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The pensioners came out with this during a protest they staged in Port Harcourt on September 8, 2021, over unpaid gratuities and arrears of pension. 

Leader of the protesters, Lucky Ati, who spoke to newsmen during the protest said they have been owed gratuities and backlog of pension arrears since they retired from the Rivers State Civil Service.

“In the 2019 and 2020 budget, there were provisions for Thirty Three Billion Naira. Now, if you are paying N1.8 million Naira, it then means you are paying about twenty something billion Naira; okay, the other Eleven point something billion Naira, what did you budget it for if there are no other components?”

“So, those eleven point something billion Naira every year that the government has been budgeting, where is the money? We have enough money with him, let him pay us.”

The retirees, who gathered at the front of the Rivers State Secretariat, had placards with inscriptions such as “Pay Our Consequential Adjustments”, “Demand For Immediate Payment Of Balance Pension From 2012 Till Date”, “Pay The Families Of Dead Pensioners, Their Death Benefits”, amongst others.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Eboka Friday, who addressed the protesting pensioners, assured them that their grievances would be forwarded to the appropriate  authorities for prompt attention.