Kaduna Retirees Protest Non Payment Of Pension, Gratuity, Give Govt 2 Weeks Ultimatum

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Kaduna State government retirees have given the government two weeks to meet their demands the payment of their gratuities and Pensions, eight years after retirement or face a shutdown.

The Union lamented the precarious situation of retirees, leading to several deaths and suffering of members after retirement, with a call on Governor Uba Sani to do the needful to save any further pains and loss of lives of pensioners in the state.

The call was made by the Chairman Kaduna state Chapter Prof. Danjuma Net during a peaceful protest to Kaduna State Government House, on Tuesday, where he further frowned at the growing plight of pensioners in the state.

” We are giving two weeks, if there’s no progress, we are talking of positive progress, and what I mean is our people are dying in droves, and don’t have the money to pay our hospital bills, many of us are homeless,” adding that most of them are faced with several challenges,

” that’s why when he ( governor) came and saw one of us who was running mental and offered to help by paying him: so must all of us be mentally sick
before they pay us, ?” he added

He however warned on a peaceful showdown if nothing is positively done ” I’m speaking to you honestly, honestly, not only as a Professor, but as a Bishop, if in the next two weeks, nothing is done, I am bringing my bed to sleep here, ” he said.

Similarly, Kaduna state Commissioner CP Rabiu Muhammed, speaking on behalf of the Governor, while commending the protesters on conducting themselves peacefully, appealed to him to covey their letter and demands to the Governor believing that the peoples’ Governor will give ear to their plights.

” And we have agreed and we promised that we are going to channel these complaints to his Excellency Gov Uba Sani and we pray he’s going to look into your problems, so let’s give him time to look into these problems, so that all of us can benefit

” So we thank every one for being here and for being peaceful .And we promise that we are going to submit your letter to His Excellency, and we pray that he will do something about it, and he promised that he will do something about it.” he assured.

The highlight of the protest include carrying of placards and banners with several inscriptions, such as “We reject 25 %,we want our full gratuities and Pensions” ‘ Is it a crime to serve our dear state Kaduna ” Please pay us our Pension and gratuity’ save our souls, pay our entitlements”, among others