Anambra Pensioners Demand Arears

 Twenty-five pensioners on the payroll of the Anambra State government have called for payment of their pension arrears, which were allegedly stopped by the state Head of Service, Mr Chidi Ezeoke.

The Chairman of the pensioners, under the aegis of Real Estate Senior Ctizens Association, Dr Christopher Mbachi, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Awka on Thursday.

Mbachi explained that the affected retirees went to their banks in June, 2012 to collect their pensions for the month of May, only to be told that their names had been removed from the pay roll.

He said upon on inquiry, they were informed that the office of the Head of Service had given the computer pay roll centre a list of names to the PIN of the pension pay roll, excluding their names.

The retiree added that Ezeoke also refused to respond to letters written to him on the subject matter, including a reminder sent by a courier service.

“All attempts made to reach the head of service by the affected pensioners, most of whom served the state meritoriously as very senior officers, were rebuffed.

“Further more, the state government carried out verification exercise for about two weeks in September for pensioners under its pay roll.

“All the affected 25 pensioners were personally verified, but none of us was paid their August pension by hand like others, nor any of their arrears since May,” the chairman stated.

Mbachi noted with concern that till date, no reason had been adduced by the state government for witholding the pensions of the retirees.

“The question is, can government for whatever reason, withold the monthly pensions of living pensioners or does government wish them not just to be dead woods, but dead men,” he asked.

Contacted for reactions, the head of service told newsmen  that the pensioners did not tell the truth.

“They are not telling the truth, I did not remove their names from the pension pay roll.

“They should go and find out why their names were removed from the pay roll,” he said.