National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Paulinus Nta A’IBOM
Akwa Ibom pensioners have made a strong appeal to Governor Umo Eno, urging him to relieve the burden from local governments and consider establishing a commission or board to oversee the administration of salaries, pensions, gratuities, and other entitlements for retired teachers and local government workers.
This request is prompted by concerns related to the implementation of financial autonomy for local governments.
Obong Comas Essien JP, the Akwa Ibom State Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, made this call during a press briefing at the state secretariat in Uyo on Thursday, August 8.
He expressed concern over the non-payment of salaries and gratuities, noting that the third tier of government has struggled to manage funds effectively.
This mismanagement previously led to the controversial, yet necessary, decision to implement a joint account for better management of pensions and salaries by the state government.
Essien highlighted that the issues surrounding pension management stem from the absence of a dedicated department or legal entity within the state to handle pensioners’ affairs.
He pointed out that the governor lacks sufficient information regarding the pension situation in the state, which has resulted in accumulated non-implementation of entitlements and recurring unrest among pensioners.
To address these challenges, Essien urged Governor Eno to consider establishing the Akwa Ibom State Pensions Board or Commission.
This entity would be responsible for overseeing the administration of pensions, gratuities, and other entitlements for retired workers across the state.
Despite the challenges, Essien praised Governor Eno for his care for the elderly, particularly in clearing accumulated gratuities for civil pensioners up to 2018, local government workers up to 2014, and retired primary school teachers up to 2012.
He also commended the governor for the recent increments of ₦20,000 and ₦15,000 to pensioners, which he noted has significantly improved the lives of those with lower pensions, ranging from ₦1,000 to ₦5,000.
Essien further appealed to the governor to advise the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to include the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the committee responsible for paying gratuities to retired primary school teachers and next of kin.
He stressed the advantages of establishing a board or commission, noting that it would centralise the concerns of pensioners, streamline communication, and provide a single report to the governor, thereby reducing unrest.
Noting also that the board would facilitate negotiations with local government chairmen regarding the monthly allocation for gratuity payments.
Similarly, the pensioners lamented that retired local government workers have yet to receive the gratuity funds released in June 2024, calling on the governor to intervene and restore hope to their lives.
