The Women Wing of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Calabar Chapter have disclosed to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, that they don’t need the introduction of pension managers to access their gratuities.
The appeal was made by the Chairperson of the group, Mrs Mary Koofrey in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday (Oct. 4) in Calabar.
Recall that Otu had in a briefing during his first 100 days in office, noted that the state had over N24 billion to pay as gratuities and may not be able to handle it.
Hence, the introduction of some banks and pension managers to take up the debts and gradually pay off the retirees owed gratuities in the state.
Koofrey said at this stage in their lives, they didn’t need to save money again adding that the government should pay them their gratuities to be used the way it would be beneficial to them.
“Some of us have waited for over eight years without seeing anything while these monies have subheads; we are old, and although nobody determines how long he or she will live, they should just give us our money.
“We don’t want a situation where for instance you have N30,000 and someone is giving you a paltry sum, claiming they are saving your money for you.
“We have also got some information from some of our members who had bad experiences when the initiative of pension managers was used some years ago,” she maintained.
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She said the monies of civil servants were not much, yet many people and organisations were trying to lay hold of their money.
However, Koofrey commended the Governor Otu-led government for keeping the promise he made to pensioners during his campaigns.
She said after winning the March 18 governorship election in the state, the governor had always paid the pensions early as they waited to see how their gratuities would be sorted.
It would be recalled that for over eight years in Cross River, gratuities of retirees were not paid until the assumption of office by Governor Otu.