Retired school teachers and local government workers in Enugu State have expressed frustration and anguish over the prolonged non-payment of their pensions and gratuities. The retirees, who have served the state for decades, claim they have not received their pensions for 26 months and that gratuities have gone unpaid for 18 years, leaving many in a state of hardship and financial instability.
The affected pensioners, some of whom are elderly and frail, have consistently raised their concerns with the state government but claim that their appeals have fallen on deaf ears. Many of them depend solely on their pensions for survival, but after more than two years of non-payment, their conditions have worsened, with some unable to afford basic needs like food, medical care, and housing.
A representative of the retirees lamented the dire situation during a recent protest, stating, “We have been abandoned by the very system we served for years. Many of our colleagues have died due to lack of funds to take care of their health, while the rest of us are suffering in silence. We have been pushed to the brink.”
In addition to the pension delays, retired teachers and local government workers have not received their gratuity payments for 18 years, further compounding their financial woes. Gratuities, which are meant to be a one-time lump sum payment to retirees for their years of service, have been withheld by successive governments, leaving retirees in a prolonged state of uncertainty.
Many retirees report that they were promised prompt payment of their gratuities upon retirement, only to find themselves waiting nearly two decades with no resolution in sight. For some, this has meant missing out on opportunities to invest in their post-retirement life or even cover essential family expenses.
The retirees are now calling on the Enugu State Government to act swiftly and resolve the pension and gratuity crisis. They argue that the funds should be released immediately, especially as many of the affected pensioners are elderly and in urgent need of financial support.
“We’ve served the state faithfully, and now, in our time of need, we are being forgotten. The government needs to prioritize our payments to restore our dignity and give us the ability to live out the rest of our lives in peace,” one retiree pleaded.
While the state government has acknowledged the issue in the past, it has cited financial constraints as a reason for the delays in payment. However, with the ongoing protests and public outcry, retirees hope that this will push the government to find a solution to the crisis.
As the situation continues to unfold, it raises broader questions about the state of pension management and worker welfare across Nigeria, where similar issues of delayed pensions and unpaid gratuities are reported in other states.
If no action is taken soon, the retirees warn of further protests and legal action. They maintain that the government must uphold its obligations to the workers who have given years of their lives to public service, ensuring that they can live their retirement years with dignity and financial security.
The plight of Enugu’s retired school teachers and local government workers highlights the urgent need for reform in the management of pensions and gratuities, not just in Enugu but across the nation.
