Abia pensioners have accused Governor Alex Otti’s administration of prioritising former politicians while thousands of retired workers remain unpaid.
The Abia Pensioners Forum raised the alarm in Umuahia on Monday, saying retirees who devoted decades to public service are still waiting for pension arrears and gratuities inherited from previous administrations.
The forum’s coordinator, Okey Kanu, said some pensioners served for 35 years or retired at 60, yet have not received what is legally owed to them.
He said the situation has become increasingly painful, with elderly retirees struggling to afford food, medication and other basic needs. Some, he added, have reportedly died without receiving their outstanding benefits.
The pensioners questioned why former local government chairmen and councillors who served for only about two years were reportedly paid their entitlements, while career public servants remain unpaid.
“This is injustice,” the forum said, insisting that decades of service should not end with elderly citizens being forced to beg for their rightful benefits.
Kanu also challenged claims that inherited pension arrears had been completely cleared, insisting that significant obligations remain outstanding.
The pensioners have vowed not to abandon their claims and are demanding urgent action from the Abia State Government.For many across Africa, the issue goes beyond Abia. It raises a fundamental question about how governments treat citizens who spend their working lives serving the public: after decades of service, should retirees have to fight for what they have already earned?
