Abia Pensioners Renew Demand For Payment Of Outstanding Gratuity, Pension Arrears

Abia State pensioners have renewed their demand for the immediate payment of their outstanding gratuities and pension arrears, accusing the administration of Governor Alex Otti of failing to fulfil repeated promises made to them.

The demand was made in Umuahia during the third press briefing of the Abia Pensioners’ Forum, where the group said pensioners in the state had endured years of hardship while waiting for retirement benefits they described as their constitutional rights.

The pensioners read from a communiqué signed by the Coordinator of the Abia Pensioners’ Forum, Okey Kanu, Esq., its Secretary, Comrade Emma Onyenyiiri, alongside Emmanuel Izundu Chigbu, Gbaruko Victor Okey, Zimiro Nwokocha and Godfirst Umejiaku.

The pensioners recalled that before assuming office, Governor Alex Otti repeatedly promised during his 2015, 2019 and 2023 election campaigns to clear the outstanding pension and gratuity owed by previous administrations, as they expressed sadness that more than 3 years down the line of the present administration, the issues of non-payment of pensions and gratuity has continued linger.

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According to them, by May 2023, pension arrears had accumulated to as much as 60 months, depending on the year of retirement, while gratuity had not been officially paid in the state since 2002.

The Forum said the situation was particularly painful because pension and gratuity are not gifts from government, but entitlements arising from years of service.

They also reminded Governor Otti of an open letter he wrote in 2018 to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, in which he strongly criticised the then administration over the failure to pay workers and pensioners.

In the letter, Governor Otti had described the situation as critical and pathetic and expressed concern over reports of avoidable deaths among civil servants and pensioners who could not afford healthcare because of unpaid entitlements.

The pensioners said those words had become even more relevant today, arguing that the economic hardship caused by inflation and the removal of fuel subsidy had further reduced the purchasing power of their pensions.

They also pointed to the Governor’s 2018 argument that government revenues should be sufficient to pay workers and pensioners if public resources were properly managed.

According to the Forum, the contradiction between those past statements and the current situation has left many pensioners disappointed.

The group listed several promises it said had not been fulfilled, including commitments to clear pension and gratuity arrears by December 2023, March 2024 and various months in 2026.

It also accused the government of attempting to use a controversial Memorandum of Agreement with the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Abia State Council, to deny pensioners their outstanding benefits.

The Forum said Governor Otti had promised on February 22, 2025, to revisit the agreement, but claimed that the issue remained unresolved.

It further criticised the Governor’s September 2025 media chat, where he reportedly said that no pensioner in Abia was owed pension arrears.

The pensioners maintained that 99.9 per cent of those who retired before the present administration came into office in 2023 are still owed pension arrears.

They also rejected the explanation given by the Governor during his July 23, 2026 media chat that payment of gratuity would commence in phases after the State Pensions Board and Ministry of Finance had reconciled their records.

The Forum described the explanation as discouraging and indefinite, arguing that pensioners had already been verified twice and that each retiree possesses an Authorisation Letter indicating the amount of pension and gratuity due.

It questioned why unresolved cases could not be isolated and payments made to pensioners whose records were already verified.

The group also expressed concern that gratuity last officially paid in 2002 has lost substantial value because of inflation and the depreciation of the naira.

According to the pensioners, many retirees have died without receiving their entitlements, while those still alive require the money to feed, access healthcare and complete retirement projects.

The Forum also drew attention to the payment of entitlements to former local government chairmen and councillors, saying it was unfair for people who served for only two years to receive their benefits while pensioners who worked for decades continued to wait.

The pensioners therefore appealed to Governor Otti to show compassion and immediately commence payment of the outstanding retirement benefits, even if the process begins with gratuity.

They also called for a Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate claims concerning pension arrears and establish the actual payments made to pensioners.

The Forum said it was not opposed to the infrastructure projects being undertaken by the administration, but insisted that the welfare of retired workers should not be sacrificed.

It urged the Governor to fulfil his campaign promises and restore the confidence of pensioners, stressing that further delay would only worsen the hardship and further devalue their entitlements.

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The pensioners appealed to the Governor to remember his own words from 2018 and, in their words, “have mercy and show humanity” to Abia pensioners.

They also warned against allowing the issue of pension and gratuity arrears to be exploited for political purposes, insisting that what they seek is simply the payment of benefits earned through years of service.