Abia Government Exposes Truth on Pension Crisis, Accuses NUP Leadership of Deception

The Abia State Government has debunked claims that it owes pensioners outstanding arrears, insisting that Governor Alex Otti has fulfilled his commitments to retired workers despite inherited financial burdens.

Addressing journalists at the Government House in Umuahia, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, criticized the Abia State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) for misleading the public. He emphasized that the Otti-led administration inherited a nearly abandoned pension debt from the previous PDP-led government but took decisive steps to address it.

"The pension arrears were almost forgotten until this government came into office. In line with Governor Otti's campaign promises and his compassion for pensioners, he approved a payment of N10 billion to clear outstanding pension debts," Kanu stated.

According to him, the Abia NUP pensioner leaders initially requested that the government waive all arrears and focus solely on paying full monthly pensions. However, Governor Otti refused, opting instead to compensate them with the N10 billion ex gratia payment.

"The sum of N10 billion was made available for the pensioners, and they collected it. But shockingly, soon after, we started hearing fabricated claims that the government still owed them," Kanu lamented.

He dismissed the allegations as deliberate falsehoods orchestrated by certain elements within the NUP leadership to tarnish the government's image. He accused them (NUP) of colluding with the opposition to blackmail the administration.

"Governor Otti has consistently paid 100% of monthly pensions since April last year. The pensioners are good people, but their leadership is dishonest and does not represent their collective interests," Kanu added.

Speaking further, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, reaffirmed the administration's commitment to pensioners' welfare. He revealed that during negotiations, the government discovered that the pension debt was underestimated.

[caption id="attachment_185537" align="alignnone" width="753"] Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma[/caption]

"We initially estimated the pension arrears at around N15 billion, but further verification revealed the actual figure exceeded N30 billion. Meanwhile, the state government is also settling over N17 billion in inherited salary arrears from the past administration," Ekeoma disclosed.

He refuted claims that Governor Otti only paid half of a nine-month pension backlog, accusing the NUP leadership of failing to protect its members' interests.

"They signed the agreement, took it home for 48 hours, reviewed it, made adjustments, and returned it. Yet, they are now claiming deception? When the arrears were paid, 'Concerned Pensioners' even went to church for thanksgiving," Ekeoma said.

The governor's media aide reassured that despite financial challenges, Governor Otti remains committed to meeting the state's financial obligations, including pension payments.