Protesting pensioners reject Benue speaker’s plea

Protesting pensioners, on Monday, rejected plea by the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Titus Uba, to shift ground on their sit-out-protest at the Government House premises as it enters the sixth day.

Daily Trust reports that the Concerned Pensioners have continued to besieged the entrance of the government house under rain and sunshine.

Chairman of the protesters, Peter Kyado, however, rejected the speaker’s plea, insisting that they can only suspend the protest when the state government pays them, at least, six months entitlement.

Speaker Uba had visited the protesters to appeal to them to harken to Governor Samuel Ortom and vacate the Government House as the administration was doing everything possible to pay them but they refused.

“We are not here to negotiate with you but to sympathize with you over your plight. As a House, we will not support anything evil against our constituents. We will continue to be on your side. You are our fathers and some of us will join you one day,” the Speaker said.

Uba also disclosed to the pensioners that the governor, during a meeting with the legislatures, told them that the pensioners agreed to vacate government house arena if paid two months arrears.

But, the angry protesters shouted the speaker down, as they continued to chorused, “it is a big lie.”

The speaker however, told them that the Benue Pension Commission bill which was expeditiously passed by the Assembly under his watch with its members recently inaugurated by the governor, was targeted at ending the many troubles associated with pension payment.

He therefore, appealed to the protesters to accept the governor’s offer to pay two months by Tuesday while more time be given to the new commission to sort out money to end the pensioners nightmare.

Meanwhile, Ikyado maintained that they were not shifting grounds as they had written several letters to the state government and other stakeholders in the state before embarking on the protest but all fell on deaf ears.