Cross River retirees ask for pension review and gratuity payments

Retirees in Cross River State are calling on Governor Bassey Otu to review and adjust their pensions.

The Chairman of the Association of Retirees in the state, Daniel Effiong, made this request while talking to reporters on Friday in Calabar.

Mr Effiong stated that pension payments have not been updated since 2014, even though the national minimum wage has increased.

He said some retirees are currently getting as low as N4,000 monthly, which he described as not enough to cover basic needs like food and medicine.

Many former state workers are still waiting for their gratuities years after they retired, according to Mr Effiong.

He pointed out that the situation is tough for elderly retirees as living costs rise and the purchasing power of the naira falls.

However, he praised the state government’s efforts to ensure regular monthly pension payments. He also thanked the governor for promising to release another payment of gratuities before December.

Mr Effiong mentioned that the N10 billion gratuity payment made by the state government about two years ago did not fully clear the backlog. Many retirees are still waiting for what they are owed.

He urged the governor to review the current pension system and make necessary adjustments to align retirees’ benefits with the current economic situation.

“Such an adjustment will help cushion the impact of inflation and the rising cost of essential goods and services on elderly former workers,” he said.

Frank Odey, the Public Relations Officer of the association, also spoke against the idea of forming another committee to handle pension payments.

Mr Odey argued that creating another committee could slow down the payment process. He said the Auditor-General and Accountant-General already have constitutional duties related to pension payments.

He called for increases in pensions and gratuities, noting that the falling value of the naira has significantly affected retirees’ purchasing power.

Mr Odey said some retirees, especially those without other income sources, struggle to pay for housing, healthcare, food, and other basic needs.

He urged the state government to keep making regular pension payments while reviewing pension rates and settling outstanding gratuity debts.

He believes that addressing these issues will bring relief to retirees who dedicated their working lives to serving the state.