The Abia Pensioners Forum has renewed its call on Governor Alex Otti to commence the immediate payment of outstanding pension arrears and gratuities, accusing the state government of failing to fulfil promises made to retirees during successive election campaigns.
However, the Abia State Government has pushed back against some of the claims, acknowledging that gratuities remain outstanding but challenging the forum to provide evidence of pension arrears allegedly owed by the present administration.
The pensioners made their position known during a press briefing addressed by the Coordinator of the Abia Pensioners Forum, Okey Kanu, Esq., who said the engagement was the third in a series aimed at drawing attention to what the group described as the continued plight of retirees in the state.
Speaking under the theme, “From Campaign Rhetorics to Governance Reality: The Experience of Abia State Pensioners,” Kanu acknowledged the regular payment of current monthly pensions by the Otti administration but maintained that inherited pension arrears and gratuities remained unresolved.
According to the forum, Otti had during his election campaigns in 2015, 2019 and 2023 repeatedly promised to clear outstanding pension arrears and gratuities if elected governor.
“More than three years into his administration, the promises concerning the arrears of pension and gratuity have remained unfulfilled,” Kanu alleged.
The forum claimed that as of May 2023, some retirees were owed pension arrears running up to 60 months, depending on their retirement dates, while gratuities had allegedly not been officially paid in the state since 2002.
It maintained that pensions and gratuities are statutory entitlements rather than acts of benevolence by government, citing Section 210 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“Pension and gratuity are our money owed to us by government. Government is our debtor,” Kanu said.
Despite its criticism, the forum acknowledged what it described as the regular payment of current monthly pensions under the Otti administration.
Kanu, however, argued that the payment of current pensions should not extinguish inherited arrears and gratuities which, according to the group, formed part of Otti’s campaign promises before assuming office.
The pensioners also revisited an open letter reportedly written by Otti in 2018 to then-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, in which he criticised the non-payment of workers’ salaries and pension arrears.
The forum said it was adopting the substance of Otti’s arguments at the time, insisting that the concerns he raised about the hardship suffered by pensioners remained relevant.
“It is very disappointing that more than three years into his administration, Governor Alex Otti has refused to practise what he preached concerning the plight of pensioners in the state,” the forum alleged.
Pensioners List Alleged Unfulfilled Deadlines
The forum further claimed that several timelines had been given for resolving outstanding retirement benefits but had passed without the expected payments.
It listed alleged commitments relating to December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2024, as well as subsequent timelines for gratuity payments extending through March, April, May and July 2026.
The pensioners also criticised a previous Memorandum of Agreement involving the state leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, which they alleged sought to waive or forfeit portions of accumulated retirement benefits.
Kanu also disputed claims attributed to a group identified as the Forum of Retired Family Secretaries that pension arrears had been cleared, arguing that retirees who left service in 2023 might not have experienced the accumulated arrears affecting those who retired much earlier.
Forum Questions Delay Over Record Reconciliation
The pensioners also referred to Governor Otti’s July 23, 2026 media chat, during which, according to the forum, the governor explained that funds for gratuity payments were available but that disbursement would commence in phases after relevant government agencies reconciled their records.
Kanu described the explanation as discouraging and argued that administrative reconciliation should not indefinitely delay payments to retirees whose records had already been verified.
“Assuming without conceding that there are a few cases to be reconciled, why must it affect the entirety of pensioners in the state?” he asked.
“The prudent thing would have been to isolate the unreconciled cases, continue work on them and pay other pensioners who do not have any issues.”
He argued that whatever reconciliation was required between government agencies should remain an internal administrative matter rather than become a reason for delaying payments.
“The entity owing us is the state government,” Kanu said.
Abia Govt Responds: ‘Bring Evidence of Pension Arrears’
Reacting to the allegations, speaking with ABN TV, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Abia State on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the government was not familiar with the Abia Pensioners Forum making the claims.
According to Ekeoma, the government is familiar with the Concerned Abia Pensioners, which he said represents close to 80 per cent of pensioners in the state.
He acknowledged that the government still has outstanding gratuity obligations to retirees but said work was ongoing to resolve the matter.
Ekeoma, however, challenged claims that pension arrears remained unpaid, asking those making such allegations to present evidence to substantiate them.
“We are not aware of this group. The group we know is the Concerned Abia Pensioners, which has almost 80 per cent of the pensioners in the state,” Ekeoma said.
“Yes, there are outstanding pension gratuities, and the government is working on them to settle the issue. But if they are saying that the government is owing pension arrears, let them bring evidence of the arrears they are talking about.”
The government’s response draws a distinction between outstanding gratuities, which it acknowledges, and pension arrears, which it disputes.
‘Pensioners Are Dying’
Meanwhile, Kanu maintained that the delay in settling retirement benefits had become increasingly difficult for elderly retirees because of the prevailing economic situation and declining purchasing power.
According to him, many pensioners require the outstanding benefits to meet basic needs, particularly feeding and healthcare expenses.
“Many pensioners have died without receiving these benefits, and pensioners are dying on a daily basis,” he said.
“Those still alive need this payment to feed, buy drugs and attend to other subsistence needs and health challenges.”
The forum warned that further delays would continue to reduce the real value of benefits accumulated over several years.
It therefore urged the Otti administration to begin payment, even if the government chooses to commence with gratuities while other disputed claims are being addressed.
“We urge government, as a matter of urgency, to start immediate payment of these retirement benefits,” Kanu said.
“Even if government wants to start with gratuity, no problem. But what we are owed are arrears of pension and gratuity. Our arrears remain there because we will continue to pursue them. It is our entitlement; it is not a gift.”
While the Abia Pensioners Forum maintains that both inherited pension arrears and gratuities remain outstanding, the Abia State Government acknowledges outstanding gratuities but disputes the claim concerning pension arrears, challenging the group to provide evidence of any unpaid pension arrears.
