Taraba State Concern Retirees Forum has embarked on an endless peaceful demonstration over the non-payment of their pension and gratuities for both state and local governments in the state.
Our Correspondent reports that the retirees in their large number walked from the PDP roundabout along Hamman Ruwa way to the government house in Jalingo, the state capital.
On arrival at the entrance of the Government House, the retirees including aged women were stopped at the entrance by the security attached to the official residence and office of the Governor of the state and asked about the essence of their visit.
It was gathered that the Chief security officer of the government house pleaded with the protesters to allow him to enter and find out who would address them, a request they granted to him.
Within a few minutes, the Secretary to the Taraba State Government, Mr. Anthony Jellason came from his office and listened to their grievance.
Comrade Silas Jafta, who is the Chairman of the forum told the SSG that they were at the Government House to see Governor Darius Ishaku to demand their hard-earned entitlements that he kept on promising to pay them.
The chairman recalled that the officials of the forum were invited by the state government as a result of a letter they wrote on the 10th of March 2022 on the same complaint and held a meeting with the Deputy Governor, Engr. Haruna Manu and the speaker of the state house of assembly, Professor Joseph Kunini.
“Base on what we have discussed with His Excellency the Deputy Governor and the Hon. Speaker, we wrote another letter dated 28th March 2022, suspending our Endless Demonstration in March ending to April ending temporally on the following conditions:
” That the full payment of gratuity to both state and Local Government retirees will commence in April 2022. That enrolment of our retirees from Local Government over One Thousand (1000) who have retired for over 8 years not yet captured will commence immediately. That there will be the implementation of the new minimum wage for our retirees which was approved 2 years back.
Another request made by the forum was also that of prompt payment of monthly pension for both state and local government retirees.
“We categorically stated that, if at the end of April the above four (4) mentioned conditions are not met, we will surely embark on Endless peaceful demonstration with our families. We hereby want to inform the Government that we are starting our Endless Demonstration on Tuesday 17th May 2022. Jafta emphasized.
They urged the EFCC to visit the state and arrest Governor Darius Ishaku, which according to them had embezzled their entitlements.
Responding, the SSG, Mr. Anthony Jellason commended the retirees for the show of maturity and patience as well as sympathized with them and promised to submit the document they handed over to him to his principal, Governor Darius Ishaku for immediate action.
“The Governor would have been here to receive you or the Deputy Governor or the Hon. Speaker as you mentioned that you had a meeting with them some time back but His Excellency the Governor has asked me to come and receive and to also deliver his greetings to you and also if there is any document you come with I should collect and take it to him.
” This document that you handed over to me I will take it to my principal and we will sit down and call the two Executive Secretaries that we have for both state and local government Pension Boards and get the exact figures of those that have not been paid and those that have died as well as those that are yet to be enrolled and see how we can start the payment and you should also be set as we will call your officials to also have a meeting with them but I do not want to give you an exact date for the meeting until we meet because I do not want to lie.” The SSG said.
Mr. Anthony Jellason commended the protesters for the maturity they exhibited and also for their patience, noting that he has not heard about any destruction or insult on anybody while they were walking to the government house.
“I thank you so much for being patience and I urge you to exercise more please.” The SSG pleaded.
Meanwhile, some members of the union narrated the hardship they are facing especially regarding health, payment of children’s school fees, and feeding issues.
Sani Sulaiman