Benue State Pensioners Must Breath By NICK AGULE

Mahatma Gandhi famously said:

“THE TRUE MEASURE OF ANY SOCIETY IS FOUND IN HOW IT TREATS ITS MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS“

Watching this video by Benue impoverished pensioners is heartbreaking. A pension is salary earned by workers that was deducted to be paid to them after retirement. A pension is money owed the workers. It’s not a favour. It’s their statutory right. To see the faces of our fathers and mothers begging for what rightfully belongs to them must melt the hearts of those responsible.

SOLUTIONS TO CLEAR PENSION ARREARS

The first solution is that if the salaries deducted were invested as it should be, there will be enough money to pay the pensions but obviously that has not happened.

The second solution is that the Govt of Benue state to make a commitment to set aside a specific percentage of federation account allocation and IGR to a dedicated account to clear the backlog of pensions and be paying as at when due going forward.

If the Govt of Benue state cannot implement the two solutions above, then here is a third solution. Pensioners are no longer in work so have no other means of income so those who are currently in work need to cut part of their salaries to pay to the pensioners. The following is the proposed salary cuts:

1. Governor – to take zero salary
2. Deputy Gov – to take zero salary
3. Speaker of House of Assembly – to take 25% salary
4. Chief Judge – to take 25% salary
5. SSG – 50% salary
6. Chief of Staff – 50% salary
7. All commissioners – 60% salary
8. All permanent secretaries – 60% salary
9. All Directors, Assembly members and Judges – 70% salary
10. Asst/Deputy Directors cadre in the 3 arms of Benue Govt – 75% salary
11. Senior staff below directorate cadre in the 3 arms of Benue Govt – 90% salary
12. All junior staff in all Govt establishments – 100% salary
13. VC BSU – 50% salary (except he attracts research grants)
14. Professors – 75% salary except they attract research grants or professorial chairs
15. All lecturers – 85% salary

The monies deducted from these workers is to paid to a dedicated account opened specifically for pension payments only. No Govt employee is to superintendent over this account. A committee comprising to be setup to ensure all deductions due to the account have been credited to the account and only payment of pensions and gratuities are made from the account to verified beneficiaries.

The committee to comprise of:

1. Representatives of the pensioners
2. Religious leaders Reps
3. Traditional rulers Reps
4. Civil society Reps

Those who have the ears of Governor Ortom should please put these solutions on his table.

Our pensioners gave their entire lives to serve us as teachers, healthcare workers, social care etc and we cannot let them rot in ruins this way. Our thank you to their heroic efforts must be in the form of prompt payment of their retirement benefits.

Let us always remember the words of Christ – WHATEVER YOU DO TO THIS LEAST OF MINE, YOU DO TO ME.

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