C/River pensioners demand 8-year outstanding gratuities

The Chairman of Association of Cross River Local Government Pensioners, Bassey Okosin, has urged the state government to pay members of their outstanding N7 billion pension and gratuities of eight years from the Paris Club Fund received from the Federal Government.

He asked that the payment be made without further delay, emphasising that the backlog had become intolerable, as the local government pensioners now finding it difficult to meet their needs in the face of the present recession.

Part of the statement read: “Local government pensioners have been faced with irregular payment of allowances. Some have not been paid their outstanding arrears of pension and gratuities since 2009, and this amounts to over N7 billion. We are aware that the state government is planning to pay gratuities to state government retirees and political office holders from the Paris Club Refunds. We are equally aware that local government pensioners are not included in the proposed disbursement of the bailout funds. We urge the state government to capture local government pensioners in the planned payment of gratuities and pensions arrears from the Paris Club Refunds.”