…Pensioners groan over arrears
May Day celebrations in Rivers State were done low-key on Thursday, May 1, 2025, as the state council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) shunned the traditional fanfare usually held at the Isaac Boro Park, all to press home a demand for a restoration of our democracy.
With the theme, ‘Reclaiming the Civic Space in the Midst of Economic Hardship’, the 2025 May Day celebration in the state equally shunned the traditional goodwill message from the state government that would have been delivered by Ibok-ette Ibas, the Sole Administrator who is a retired vice admiral, represented by Ibibia Worika, a law professor who is the Secretary to the State Government, as well as Yingi Brown, Head of Service.
Alex Ikechi Agwanwor, State Chairman of the NLC, noted the happenings in Rivers State in the past one month, and the suspension of all democratically elected government institutions in Rivers State, as he urged citizens to remain steadfast, be law-abiding and carry out their legitimate duties without fear or intimidation and to avoid acts that could lead or trigger provocation.
He said, “The organised labour fought for democracy, we are a product of democracy and we will continue to fight till democracy is well entrenched in our land. We appeal to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to use his good offices and intention to reinstate the democratically elected governor, deputy governor, and the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to their offices as soon as possible.
“As workers of Rivers State, we enjoy good working relationship with our elected representatives under a democratic system of government. We also urge the Sole Administrator to facilitate the peaceful reconciliation process that he has been saddled with to expedite the quick return of our elected representatives as it is in other states of the federation.”
Agwanwor however frowned at the buildup of pension arrears and payment of gratuity. He said that, “As organized labour centre and committed leaders of workers in the state, we will not continue to fold our hands and watch some of our heroes and veterans in the union die in penury after putting more than half of their life existence in service and with nothing to show.
“As a matter of urgency, therefore, we are demanding the immediate payment of the backlog pension arrears owed the pensioners of Rivers State and the implementation of the N32,000 minimum wage approved for the federal pensioners to the Rivers State pensioners. Gratuity and death benefits of pensioners should be paid without further delay.”
Sam Eke, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Rivers State Council, who is of the 2012 to date pensioners batch in the state, lamented that for the months of March and April, since the suspension of the state governor, no gratuity was released in the state.
“So, we are pleading with him through your media. He should release that money so that pensioners can get what is due them as gratuity.
“The monthly pension is what we have been getting from the previous governments, as at when due. But the gratuity and the arrears were owed by the previous administration, during Nyesom Wike’s administration. And up to date, those arrears cannot be cleared because they are in bulk form.
“We are pleading that you release the N2bn the suspended governor (Siminalayi Fubara) was releasing so that the Ministry of Finance can use that to clear the arrears and also attend to gratuity and debt benefits. That is our prayer. We are asking that something meaningful should be done so that elder statesmen that have served the state could not suffer in the midst of this political crisis”, he said.
He described the Sole Administrator’s announcement that pensioners in the state would enjoy the minimum pension as prescribed by the Federal Government as a welcome development, while appealing that arrears should be cleared to save the lives of these elderly people who have served the state meritoriously.
