Retirees barricade Delta govt house over seven-year pension.

Retirees from primary schools across the 25 local government areas of Delta State on Monday barricaded the state seat of power over non-payment of pension for the past seven years.

 

The protesting retirees, who wore black attire, carried placards with different inscriptions, such as ‘Wicked Okowa, pay us our pensions,’ ‘Okowa you are owing the living and the dead,’ among others.

 

They also stopped vehicular movement into government house, shouting “only Okowa will address us.”

 

One of the retirees, Mr Patrick Lori, said they were being owed since 2015.

 

He said, “We are protesting here today because we are tired of fake promises; what we need now is action and we will keeping coming here.

 

“Is it a crime to work for the government for 35 years? As I speak to you now, about 68 retirees have died from 2015 to date.”

 

Another retiree, Mr Smaiia Isitual, said the N2.5bn the state claimed to have released for pensioners of 2014 and 2015 had not been received.

 

The retirees rejected commissioners who came to address them and vowed to remain at the Government House for three days until Okowa addressed them.

 

They also threatened to protest on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the 2022 National Sports Festival holding at the Stephen Kashi Stadium at Asaba.