Bauchi State Pensioners marched in their thousand in a rally Bauchi
calling on the Bauchi State House of Assembly to impeach Governor
Abdullahi Mohammed Aýbubakar immediately for non-payment of workers,
pensioners and untold hardship he has inflicted on the people of the
state.
The pensioners, who matched straight to Government House Bauchi said they
regretted voting a non-indigene as Governor of the state.
The pensioners further faulted the unending verification of workers and
pensioners which has been going on for the past four months.
The pensioners under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP)
said their members have suffered as a result of the governor’s
insensitivity.
The pensioners alleged that the governor is from Kogi state and an
Ebira by tribe that is why he has decided to inflict merciless suffering
on the people because his people are not involved.
Speaking with newsmen at the Government House chairman of the
Union in the state, Alhaji Abu Gar said no pensioner has been paid in the
last four months.
Buttressing his point, he said that only thirty retired permanent
secretaries and directors in both the state and local government Services
have been paid up to date.
He expressed surprise over the indefinite nature of the verification
exercise while wondering that, “our members are still alive, why would the
government
take over four months to carry out the verification that seems not to have
a specific date to end and is a pure witch- hunting exercise”?
Responding to them, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Bello Shehu
Ilaila said the verification is meant for identification of real workers
and it has no time limit.
ýWhile He said “I am aware some of your members have died yet their salary
and pension were still being collected by some people.
Ilaila, who represented the governor told the pensioners to allow
government to carry on with the exercise with a view to fishing out ghost
workers and pensioners among them.