Abia State Governor Alex Otti has pledged to review his stance on the controversial pension arrears of retirees in the state.
Otti made the commitment on Saturday while responding to an appeal from Rev. Ernest Onyukwu, who preached during the 80th birthday celebration of Senator Chris Adighije at the Federal Medical Centre Chapel in Umuahia.
During his sermon, Rev. Onyukwu urged the governor to take a second look at his decision and show compassion to senior citizens who had served the state diligently.
In his response, Otti expressed frustration over what he described as an attempt by the leadership of pensioners to blackmail his administration despite an earlier agreement.
The governor explained that a Memorandum of Agreement had been signed between the government and the pensioners’ leadership on how to clear the backlog of arrears accumulated by previous administrations. However, after the payments were made, pensioner leaders claimed they had not agreed to forfeit their gratuities.
Otti dismissed their claim that they signed the agreement under duress, stating that opposition politicians had incited them to turn against his government.
Despite the controversy, the governor has ensured that pensioners in Abia now receive their payments alongside active civil servants, with salaries and pensions being disbursed on the 28th of every month.