By Jonathan Ugbal
The Cross River State House of Assembly has moved to ensure that pensioners in the state are paid their due after it adopted a motion by Itam Abang (PDP, Boki 1).
Retirees recently protested at the Governor’s office in Calabar following non payment of gratuity and pensions due to allegations that some names were removed from the payroll while the state announced a verification exercise to be carried out in Calabar which led to the delisting of names claiming they were ghost pensioners.
And, on Thursday during plenary, Dr. Abang moved a motion to mandate the State government to reinstate those affected, pay the pensioners while the verification is ongoing.
She also urged the House to summon the Auditor General for Local Government, Mrs. Franca Inok.
According to her, “after putting in 35 years of meritorious service and retiring, from the ages of 65 to 70 years, many pensioners are always battling with health challenges.”
She argued that conducting the exercises in Calabar was in bad taste as the roads were in a state of disrepair.
The House which adopted the motion and resolved that the verification must be carried out in the various Local Government Headquarters with specific dates, also distanced itself from the ongoing exercise.
The House called on the State to handle pensioners with sympathy and expressed displeasure, that they were not empowered to contribute to the economic development of Cross River, like their conterparts in other States.