Protesting Pensioners not retirees of Delta govt; Charles Aniagwu’s Statement Disrespectful and Insensitive – ACRPS – www.cliptvonline ~

We received in grave disbelieve that commissioner for information in the state could address his elders who have served the state for 35 years in such a derogatory manner.

Ordinarily, we would have taking his press statement for granted like most of his unguided utterances in the past but for the sake of some misinformed public who are between the truth and the many lies of the Delta State Government as regards the retired Teachers’ pension and gratuity.

It’s quite unfortunate that the commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu is deformed, hence lacks proper information on the state of events in Delta State thereby misinforming the state government and the general public with fabricated data just to keep earning salary at the detriment of Delta State Government.

The commissioner for information has contributed 80% of Governor Okowa’s failure in governance due to his continuous misinformation on the state of events in the state.

The protest carried out on the 14th July 2022 was not done by pensioners but retired teachers of Delta State and for the records, it’s the 7th protest organized and self sponsored by the Retired Teachers and LGA retirees over the complete neglect of the state government to pay up their pensions and gratuity since 2015.
It is very disappointing that the commissioner for information lacks understanding of the difference between Pensioners and Retirees. We shall teach him the difference in our next protest if our demands are not met by next month.

The protest by the Retired Teachers was not and have never been Politically motivated as insinuated in his make believe speech.
It is quite unfortunate that the commissioner for information would condescend too low to label our genuine demands for our rights as retired teachers in the state as Politically motivated protest just to curry public sympathy and divert the attention of the public and sympathizers of the plight of abandoned retirees in Delta State. This shows the level of inhumanity of the commissioner for information and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa towards workers welfare in the state.

This his unguided press statement on the 18th July 2022 has led us to question his Educational background and on what basis he was appointed into an important office of the commissioner for information bearing in mind that there wouldn’t have been any protest in demand for pensions and gratuity if the government had been faithful in payment of teachers pension and gratuity as at when due. We also wish to educate the commissioner for information that the pension and gratuity is a contribution deducted by the state government from monthly salary and not a government allowance like what he earns for misinforming the public.

In his press statement, he stated that the protesting Retirees are not of the state government but under the local government thereby justifying Gov Okowa’s refusal to pay the retirees but little did he know of what the local government bureau which was created by the state government stands for. It’s quite unfortunate that while the protest was ongoing at the government house, Charles Aniagwu was at the beer parlour hence was not at the scene to hear the chief of staff, Hon. Festus Agas who addressed the protesters and assured them of the Governor’s willingness to pay up the retired teachers and went as far to say that it’s only the governor that can address the retirees and pensioners in the state. He further stated in quote that ” only Gov. Okowa’s red biro is what is needed to pay pensioners and retirees”.

The commissioner for information Charles Aniagwu’s accusations and false data presented in his press statement against the Chairman of the Association of Contributory Retirees of Primary School, Hon. Chief Mrs Helen Chionye Ejieh (JP) is only meant to misinform Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa and also malign the genuine efforts of both parties (Delta State Government and the leadership of Association of Contributory Retirees of Primary School) in resolving the lingering issues bothering on payment of gratuity and pensions as far back 2015.

For the records, Hon. Chief Mrs Helen C. Ejieh (JP) is a member of All Progressive Congress (APC) and it’s her right as a citizen to belong to any Political party which she feels is people oriented and can deliver dividends of democracy.

On the contrary, Hon. Chief Mrs Helen C. Ejieh (JP) is not the Delta North APC woman leader and can not be cowed to back down a genuine demand for her entitlement of 35 years of service by a political propaganda.
Hon. Chief Mrs Helen C. Ejieh (JP) got her appointment as a teacher in the year 1981 and was not appointed by PDP or APC Government hence labelling her and other retirees who had served the state for 35 years in Service and have been denied their pension and gratuity as Political stooges is the highest point of irresponsibility on the commissioner for information and the Delta State Governor His Excellency, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
Hon. Chief Mrs Helen C. Ejieh (JP) retired at Eke Model Primary School Kwale and not Iyatu Primary School and the purported claim by Charles Aniagwu that the state government had paid Retirees and Pensioners up to 2016 as authoritatively stated in his speech is not just false but insensitive and misleading to the general public.

On the demand for the retirees for 10bn to be injected in to the bureau to offset the backlog of Pensioners, it is very disheartening that Gov. Okowa is depending on the 150bn he is seeking to borrow in other to pay but had to spend billions of Naira of Deltans treasury in the just concluded PDP Presidential Primaries which earned him the Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP. It is not far fetched that Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa pays lip service and is insensitive to the plights of the Delta State retirees.
Despite Gov. Okowa’s receipt of Paris fund for four consecutive times in 2019, he failed to use the fund for what it was released for but channelled it to his Political sojourn ahead of 2023 leaving the retirees to their fate.

It is very unfortunate that Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa instead of seeking a favourable way to pay up the accrued Pension and gratuity of senior citizens of the state who have faithfully served the state and retired since 2015, he has resorted to bullying the protesting Retirees through his commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu.

Information at our disposal is that the Governor has mandated the commissioner for information Charles Aniagwu to mastermind the arrest of the leaders of the protesting Retirees should they protest the non payment of retirees by next month.

Although we are aware of this, we will not back down on our demand for our rights and cannot be intimidated by hired thugs of the government as this protest continues on monthly basis should the governor fails to pay all retired teachers till 2022 as demanded in our protest held on the 14th of July 2022.

The fact that the Delta State Government through the commissioner for information could outrightly deny and disown the Retired teachers is not only an act of wickedness and deceit but inhumane. Gov. Okowa’s refusal to pay the retirees has caused a lot of deaths of our members and the living ones are not sure of receiving their gratuities anytime soon.

Despite any form of intimidation from Gov Okowa and his Political thugs, we shall be going on another protest by August if they refused to adhere to our demands.

©
Hon. Chief Mrs Helen Chionye Ejieh (JP)
Chairman, Delta State Primary School Retirees