Kebbi Pensioners to Stage Mass Action Tuesday
Pensioners in Kebbi State under the aegis of Kebbi State Retired Officers Welfare Association have vehemently rejected the 40% payment offer of their entitlements from the state government saying it contradicted the earlier agreement reached for the payment of 100% payment of their money.
In a Press release signed by Bello Kane , the association’s Secretary and made available to journalists yesterday, says pensioners in the state will embark on mass action tomorrow Tuesday 17th , January, 2017 through procession in the state capital , Birnin Kebbi to Government House to press for their demand and also tell the world that Kebbi State Government is recalcitrant in paying their full entitlements .
According to the letter ” This is to notify the general public of the changes regarding the payment of pension and gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants in Kebbi State . Rather than the 100% agreed earlier , the government is offering only 40% hiding behind the facade of lack of funds ”.
The letter further reads ” We therefore find it expedient to state that we reject the 40% offer and we shall collect nothing short of 100% of our entitlements and that irrespective of what the government is planing , we shall embark on mass action slated for Tuesday, 17th , January, 2017 ”.
In a related development , the Chairman of Kebbi State Retired Pensioners Association , Comrade Ahmad Muhammad Bunza in an interview with Pressmen lamented that 247 pensioners have died in the state , 69 suffered stroke , about 88 have gone permanently blind , while over 500 shuttling from one hospital to another ‘ the situation is disturbing and chaotic ”.
” We have been Pursuing this pension and gratuity issue, mounting pressure on government , we are very unhappy with lackadaisical attitude of government towards the welfare of its senior citizens , we are fully aware that the federal government gave out funds for payment of our entitlements but why Kebbi government is simply refusing to pay us is what we don’t know. ”
