Forum of retired primary school teachers in Àkwa ibom state rose from its meeting yesterday at St Patrick’s Primary School Uyo Àkwa ibom state with an October 14th deadline for the government of Akwa ibom state to meet their demand or face mass protests from the octogenarians.
The meeting which was attended by retirees from all the local government areas of the state was presided by Rev. Dr Richard Cookey the state chairman along with members of his state executive council.
The forum’s demand includes payment of the 11 years pension arrears owed her members, payment of the gratuities last paid in 2013 to her members , payment of leave grants of 2013 partially paid to few people, 7.5 percent promotion arrears owed her members for 2011,2012, 2013, among others.
The forum chairman lamented that currently its members are yet to receive pension for over 11 months subjecting them to untold hardship and economic difficulties.
According to him, ” This challenges of payment is just peculiar to retired primary school teachers, the forum of local government retirees have been paid their entitlements up to 2021, retired civil servants up to 2023 while the retired primary school teachers stopped at 2013″
He added, ” We are mostly aged people and some of our members are sick and depends on daily medication after 35 years of meritorious service to our state but can’t feed or get our drugs any more because of financial difficulties”.
The chairman said the forum believes that the state governor Pastor Umo Eno is a God fearing man which informs their decision to publicly endorse him for second term in office and made a passionate appeal to him to quickly intervene in their predicament.
He further highlighted, ” We sincerely appreciate the Nigeria labor congress for their love and kind intervention on our matter but the forum will not join the September 14th protest, the reason been that our mother body the Nigerian Union of pensioners have assured us that we are getting our entitlements by the end of this September “.
The forum warned that if government fails to address thier plight by the end of the month, they will have no option than to mobilse their members and protest from NUP office to Governor’s office in Uyo to get thier demands.
” I want to say that no God fearing government will like to see this category of elderly people who gave their all to the progress of the state march under the sun and rain to press home their demand to get thier legitimate entitlements.
” We have endured, our problem is different from others, all the funds the governor has released so far hasn’t reached us, we are suffering, we are tired of excuses, we give the government till October 14th if we don’t get our entitlements up to 2018 then we will embark on the protests, even those on sick beds will be brought all with their condition for the world to see what we are going through after serving our State. I believe no God fearing governor will wait to see this happen under his government” he intoned.
Our Correspondent reports that that most of the retirees who spoke at the meeting recounts their extremely difficulties in meeting with the challenges of eating decent meals and buying drugs for their health challenges after spending their active years in service to the state.
Leave feedback about this