Ifere Paul|11 May 2016|11:35am
The non payment of retirement benefits in Cross River State is alarming. While more and more retirees die everyday, the governor continues with his super sizes and unrealistical signature projects.
Apart from the fact that Governor Ben Ayade of CRS has not paid gratuity of retired civil servants, the governor has refused to pay the retirement benefits of Permanent Secretaries in the State.
Many of the Secretaries and other retirees are on prescription drugs due to their frail and failed health. Investigation into the non payment of permanent secretaries and other retirees has revealed that some of the retirees have even died while waiting for their pay cheques.
While writing this story, I paid a visit to the CRS Pension Office where I met so many senior citizens who have been reduced to beggars. They were hazard looking and skeletal. Interviewing a relative of one retired Permanent Secretary, I was told that "due to poverty, old age and persistent ill health, some retired Permanent Secretaries have died prematurely." There was an obituary on a board in the pension office showing a pensioner who has just died while waiting for his entitlement.
Many sad cases like these ones are all over the State. But the following Permanent Secretaries are all dead. Some of them died without the payment of their entitlements, Elder Eni Okoi; Okoi Ewa; Thomas Bisong; William Ogbudu; Pastor B. B. U. Ugbuji; Ukandi Gabriel Ogar (SSG); Chief Patrick Okon; Robert Abang; etc died leaving their monies behind.
Another sad story I was told was that of Rosemary Offiong who has been bedridden for months without any financial assistance to augment for her treatment. Margarete Okang Okeke is right now dealing with life threatening ailments. Perhaps Governor Ben Ayade does not know that his government will stand tall if he commenced the instalmental payment of the existing Permanent Secretaries pension arrears soonest to save their lives from extinction.
It is for these reasons that I think that his Excellency Prof Ben Ayade should tailor his policies towards uplifting of the wellbeing of our senior citizens.
Ifere Paul
Is a Public Policy Analyst & Environmental Activist
