Some retired primary school teachers in Enugu State have cried out over the non-payment of their pensions for about 27 months.
Narrating tales of woe during a visit to the Enugu State House of Assembly today, the retirees also said they were yet to be paid their gratuities since they retired in 2002.
The aggrieved pensioners urged the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Edward Ubosi, to come to their aid by facilitating the payment of the outstanding entitlements.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Chief Mathias Onovo disclosed that they had written several letters to the relevant authorities, demanding payment of their entitlements.
Unfortunately their persistent pleas had continued to fall on deaf ears, Onovo stated.
Onovo added that many of the pensioners died as a result of difficulties occasioned by the non-payment of the outstanding entitlements.
He equally disclosed that most of them are battling health challenges but lack funds for medical care.
Aside the non-payment of pensions and gratuities, the retired teachers also complained of exclusion in the implementation of ‘promotion received after retirement’.
Calming them down, the Speaker, Ubosi, assured the retired teachers that “something” would be done to alleviate their plight.
“Your labours will never go in vain – you have laboured and you deserve to be paid,” he told the aggrieved retirees.
Ubosi added that the group came at “the right time”, as the state government has set up an audit committee to address issues relating to salaries and pensions in the various local government councils in the state.
The speaker, who is also the head of the said audit committee, said the complaints raised by the retired primary school teachers would serve as a guide in the committee’s assignment.