The Rivers State government says it’s working to ensure that issues of pension harmonization and immediate clearance of pension gratuities are cleared once after retirement.
The Head of service Dr George Nweke stated this at the opening of the newly built pension house on Okomoko Street in D/line.
He said despites the Huge liabilities of the contributory pension scheme and others important State matters begging for attention, the Governor is ensuring that immediate pay rolling of Pensioner are of top priority.
He praised the state leadership for proving that they are men of integrity who puts service above self by denning themselves certain luxuries to attain this great feat, he joked that if it where some people they would run off of the money as an extra pension benefits
Also speaking at the new pension house unveiling. The State chairman of the Nigerian labour Congress NLC Alex Agwanwor said they are also working hard with the union executive to ensure that pensioners who earn below 5 thousand naira as monthly pension income are harmonized in line with minimum wage laws he assured that NLC will partner the pensioners union to engage the Rivers State Government to make sure that the issue of pension arrears, gratuities and increase in pension arrears are addressed and harmonized
For his part the chairman of the Nigeria union of Pensioners Collins Nwankwo enumerated the challenges the encountered building the senior citizens house from scratch to near finishing He said the office building standing today was built by direct labour under his leadership as a legacy where members can comfortably call their own after the previous state government administration threw them out of a temporary allocation with a promise to reallocate another place but that it never came.
He said “sir it may interest you to know that we built this secretariat with meagre check-off dues from pensioners monthly earnings and using direct labour to save cost,
He also noted that the practice in the state is that government either builds secretariats or allot state councils to other unions free of charge but for the pensioners never got any of those treatment
Comrade Collins Nwankwo appeal to the state Governor To assist them with utility vehicle for the running of the office, also furnishing the buildings with Lighting air conditioners, generator plant and other office equipment’s.
He also appealed to the state governor sir Similaye Fubara to address the issues of perennial flooding on the streets around the area particularly during rainy seasons