“We are starving”: pensioners from Perm in Abia ask Governor Otti to pay severance pay

Abia State Permanent Secretaries who retired from service in 2023 have appealed to Governor Alex Otti to pay them severance pay and other entitlements including cash benefits.

The retired officials during a press conference in Umuahia narrated their dire circumstances, saying the non-payment of severance packages had placed significant economic pressure on them.

The group’s spokesman, Mr Nkwachukwu Agumuo, said the state government should have paid them severance pay immediately given that their departure from service was sudden.

He stressed the need for the government to provide funds to help them rebuild their lives and support their families.

Retirees, while recognizing Governor Ottey’s initiatives to develop the state, requested his assistance in resolving their financial situation.

They noted that they made several attempts to bring their situation to the attention of the state government, including visits to the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner for Justice.

“After October 2023, when our service in the state civil service was abruptly interrupted, it became urgent and relevant to highlight our plight.

“Since then, we still have not received benefits, including severance pay, furniture allowance and allowances.

“The silence of those in charge of solving our problem leaves much to be desired and has left us in a difficult situation both financially and emotionally,” Agumuo said.

Agumuo stressed that the pensioners have dedicated decades of service to the state for the benefit of society, highlighting the suffering their families have endured due to delays in payments.