Unpaid entitlements: Abia pensioners resort to fasting, prayer

Pensioners in Abia State under the aegis of Abia Pensioners Forum have ended a three-day praying and fasting to seek the face of God over their entitlement which were allegedly not paid by the state government.

The Pensioners, who held their praying and fasting in Umuahia this week, said that they interceded for the payment of their gratuites and arrears of pensions.

The Coordinator of the Abia Pensioners Forum, Mr Okey Kanu who spoke to the press after the religious event, said that the forum is a pressure group, which according to him, has been leading the crusade to see that the State government rescinded the Memoranda of Agreement it signed with Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) concerning their gratuities and arrears of pensions.

Kanu, who is a lawyer, also cited the recent statement where the leadership of the NUP in Abia State denied signing off their gratuities, noting that the statement by the NUP executives has further justified the earlier position of the Abia Pensioners Forum.

“This meeting is particularly necessary because our state NUP Exco has denied entering into any agreement with the Government to forfeit our arrears of pension, especially gratuity,” Kanu said.

Preaching at the event, a priest, Pastor Success Obinya of City Libration Centre, urged the retirees to trust in God for their prayers to be answered.