The ongoing pension crisis in Abia State has taken a dramatic turn, with Governor Alex Otti accusing leaders of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) of dishonesty over the issue of unpaid pension arrears left behind by previous administrations.
Otti alleged that the NUP leadership had initially agreed to forgo the arrears owed by past governments but later reneged on the agreement. However, Elder Chukwuemeka Irondi, the state NUP chairman, refuted the claim, insisting that no such deal was voluntarily signed by the union.
A Controversial Agreement
According to Irondi, the state government invited pensioners to a late-night meeting where an agreement was allegedly imposed on them. Despite the controversy, he acknowledged that the Otti administration has been consistent in paying monthly pensions.
Governor Otti, speaking over the weekend, dismissed the NUP leadership as dishonest and declared he would no longer engage in negotiations with them.
“Did you see that they signed the Memorandum of Agreement? I saw a newspaper report where they said they didn’t sign. So, you can see that we are dealing with a dishonest set of leaders. The pensioners are honest people; their leaders are dishonest. And we don’t reward dishonesty,” he said.
Read also: Trump defends new tariffs, says economic “pain” will be “worth the price”
The governor argued that previous administrations had ignored the issue for over a decade, and his efforts to clear the backlog were met with ingratitude.
“Somebody owed them for 10 years. I never owed them. They kept quiet all these years. And now that someone has stepped up to clear the backlog, they suddenly have a voice? If you made a mistake, don’t lie. Don’t say you didn’t sign; don’t claim you were deceived. If you like, twist the question 100 times, I will not deal with you,” he insisted.
Allegations of Political Influence
Governor Otti further claimed that the **Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)** was behind the pensioners’ resistance, alleging that their lawyer is affiliated with the opposition party.
“I have investigated this and found that PDP is behind it; their lawyer is a PDP lawyer. If they were smart, why would they hire someone who was part of the government that owed them for 10 years while attacking the person trying to pay them? Genuine pensioners are happy everywhere, but contractors looking to make money are the ones fueling this crisis,” Otti stated.
Dismissing further negotiations with the NUP leaders, the governor challenged them to take legal action instead.
“If they are unhappy with being paid their full pensions monthly, they should return the money they have received and continue wearing black. I will not be blackmailed. They should declare a dispute and take the legal route. But you don’t take the money and then turn around to claim you were deceived. That is dishonesty, and I do not deal with dishonest people,” he asserted.
PDP Fires Back, Accuses Otti of Betrayal
Reacting to Otti’s comments, the PDP Abia State Chapter strongly condemned his remarks, calling them reckless, insensitive, and deeply disrespectful to senior citizens who dedicated their lives to public service.
“We find it necessary to ask: Who is truly dishonest? The pensioners who are demanding their rightful dues, or a governor who falsely claimed to have cleared all outstanding pensions? If all arrears have been paid, why are pensioners still crying out for their entitlements?” the party queried.
The PDP accused Otti of betraying his campaign promises, arguing that rather than fulfilling his pledge to clear pension arrears, he was intimidating and blackmailing pensioners into forfeiting their rightful benefits.
“During his campaign, Governor Otti solemnly promised to clear all outstanding pension arrears. But instead of keeping that promise, he is now pressuring pensioners to surrender their entitlements. If this is not executive dishonesty, then what is?” the party’s statement read.
The standoff between the Abia State Government and the pensioners’ union continues, with pensioners caught in the middle of a political and financial battle over decades of unpaid entitlements.