Retirees have expressed outrage at the Borno State government over non-payment of their pension arrears since December 2012, a situation that has led to the death of many retirees due to starvation.
At the state pension board, some of the retirees, looking weather-beaten in their predicament, the offensive odor alone that pervaded the premises was enough to tell their sad story. Some of the pensioners, as old as 80 years, defecated and urinated, with no one to assist them.
Some of retirees expressed worry over their unpaid pension since 2012 despite the bailout fund that was released by the federal government to states. A cross-section of them who spoke to Independent in Maiduguri urged Governor Kashim Shettima to pay them their pension without further delay.
Mr Baidu Maunta, one of the retirees said their benefits ought to have been paid because the government has received bailout fund.
“The governor has come on the media to say that he has approved N500 million to pensioners, but no single kobo was given to any of us. We are begging him to pay us to alleviate our suffering,” he said.
On his part, Malam Ismael Dala, another pensioner, described the situation as devastating, adding that there are over 1,000 pensioners in great pain taking refuge in various Internally Displaced Persons camps in the state capital.
“A lot of our members are living in pain, some have died, while many of us have been sent out of our houses as our benefits have not been paid. The government should stop deceiving us and pay us our benefits, our people are dying for nothing,” he said.
Efforts to get reactions from government failed as the Secretary of the Borno State Pension Board could not be reached while the Commissioner for Information was not on seat for comment. – Daily Independent.
