Okorocha wants to kill us – Imo pensioners
The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Imo State chapter, has raised an alarm over the State government’s attempt to coerce pensioners to dissociate themselves from the court action instituted against her (the State government) for non-payment of pensions to the retirees.
It would recalled that Imo State government recently issued a circular compelling the state retirees to forfeit 60 percent of their pension which the pensioners vehemently opposed to the plan.
A statement jointly signed by the State chairman of NUP, Chief Gideon Ezeji; State Chairman, Retired Permanent Secretaries Association, Comrade Fabian Agba and Mr. Livinus Asiegbu, the principal secretary of NUP, at the weekend, and made available to newsmen in Owerri, said that there was no pensioner in the state that was not heavily owed by the State government.
The union therefore advised its members not to sign any document against their constitutionally provided by pension rights.
The statement dismissed rumours making rounds that the NUP is collecting levy from its members for the litigation against the State government, saying that the current legal services are provided by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) free of charge.
“The money being collected by the NUP is for the day to day running of the union since the Imo State government has refused to pay the NUP her legal check off dues because of her determination to frustrate and starve the union and Imo Pensioners to death”.
“The Nigeria Bar Association is single-handedly without costs to the Union providing legal services to the Imo Pensioners on humanitarian grounds and in defence of the Rule of Law.”
“We hereby state categorically that the NBA has not demanded any money or gratification from any pensioner or from the NUP and nothing whatsoever has been given to them.”
