Olivia Smith
Fri, Sep 8, 2023 7:35 PMDelta State Retirees Reject Alleged Extortion Plan by Local Government Association
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Delta State retirees, under the umbrella of the Association of Contributory Retirees (ACR), have raised their voices in protest against what they claim are plans by the Delta State Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) to extort N4 million from each retiree to pay off an outstanding debt. The debt, amounting to N40 billion, is owed to retired primary school teachers and local government workers in the state.
The retirees allege that the leadership of ALGON intends to impose the deduction as part of a loan repayment plan for the outstanding debts. SaharaReporters has learned that the loan was secured by ALGON last month, but the decision to deduct N4 million from each retiree's entitlement has generated controversy.
During an emergency general meeting held in Ozoro, the Isoko North council area headquarters, the Association of Contributory Retirees unanimously rejected the proposed deductions. The Association issued a communique calling on the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to intervene and halt the alleged extortion scheme initiated by the local government council chairmen.
The communique, signed by the Association's chairperson, Mrs. Ejieh Helen Chionye, and secretary, outlined their demands. These included the return of the N40 billion loan, which the Association claimed was meant to offset the N54 billion gratuity backlogs. They also demanded the immediate remittance of the unremitted deductions totaling N5.9 billion from 2015 to 2017.
The retirees expressed their belief that Governor Oborevwori was not aware of the plot and appealed to him to intervene urgently. They emphasized the importance of preserving the full take-home pay of retirees who had already served diligently and relied on their pension benefits for their wellbeing. The Association urged the government to continue payment through the Bureau of Local Government, as ALGON's trustworthiness had been called into question.
The retirees' discontent stems from a disputed template presented by a consultant engaged by ALGON. The retirees claimed that the new template indicated a shortfall of four million naira per retiree, a suspicious and potentially fraudulent arrangement that they strongly rejected.
Chairman of Ika North East council and the state chairman of ALGON, Victor Ebonka, denied the allegations and alleged that some retirees had fraudulently calculated their gratuities while still in service, defying the stipulated retirement time of 35 years or 60 years of age. He warned that if the retirees were ready to fight, ALGON would cease all payments.
The retirees' plea for intervention has been copied to various government offices, including the state governor, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Secretary to the State Government, Auditor General of the State, and Commissioner of Police. The retirees also involved external agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), Department of State Service (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as well as labor unions like the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
The retirees expressed hope that Governor Oborevwori, with less than 100 days in office, would not support what they perceived as an "evil venture." They questioned why their predecessors had managed to pay retirees their full benefits and demanded that justice and fairness prevail.
Source of content: OOO News 2023-09-08 News
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