Posted by By Eromosele Ebhomele on
For the second time in a year, over 250 pensioners protesting non-payment of their entitlements, yesterday, grounded activities at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).
For the second time in a year, over 250 pensioners protesting non-payment of their entitlements, yesterday, grounded activities at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).
The protesting workers, most of whom look unkempt, claimed they are being owed various allowances for eight years. The pensioners got to the NPA headquarters around 9 a.m., carrying a mock coffin tied with palm leaves and chanted burial songs.
The protesting workers barricaded all the entrances to the various offices and prevented movement by both workers and visitors. Speaking with P.M.News, Secretary of NPA Pensioners' Welfare Association, Chief Daniel C. Egere, said they would stay at the premises until they were considered.
According to him, the pensioners are protesting the undue delay in the payment of their allowances because they believe the allowances have been allocated to the authority and might be misappropriated.
'We are not leaving here until they pay us. Look, most of our members have died waiting for this money. 'Some others are bed-ridden and there is no money to take care of them, while a group of heartless people are sitting on the money', he claimed.
He said, at a meeting with the NPA management, the workers were told that their money was mismanaged and was categorised under a deficit of N36 billion.
'Who mismanaged the money? Is it the pensioners who do not even know where the money is?' he asked. Chief Egere said the association has petitioned the Senate several times but no response from the upper legislative house yet. He called on the federal government, as well as the various anti-graft agencies, to come to their rescue.
The association's secretary alleged that those who put them in this situation were not praying to retire as civil servants. According to him, they are only interested in amassing wealth and establish their businesses or becoming politicians.
As at the time of filing this report, the NPA management could not be reached to comment on the matter while the Public Relations Officer was said to be on a special assignment. A staff, who pleaded anonymity, told P.M.News that the pensioners were justified as their money was part of the allocation to the NPA in 2008