In Kwara State,the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Electricity Sector, protested the non-payment of their gratuity entitlements said to amount to N25bn nationwide, they also alleged that they were being owed their monthly pensions for many months and so demanded the payment of the arrears.

The pensioners who protested peacefully at the office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company at Challenge Office, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital carrying placards with different inscriptions that revealed their indebtedness, drew attention to their plight, and called on the relevant authorities to effect the payment of their entitlements with immediate effect.

Some of the inscriptions read, ‘Government, pity the widows of former PHCN'; ‘Pity our children’, ‘Don’t turn us to street beggars’, ‘Give us our entitlements’, ‘Our rights must be given’,‘Save us from hunger'; ‘FG, be sympathetic’ and ‘Pay us our entitlements and other benefits’.

Kwara State chapter Chairman of NUP, Electricity Sector, Mr. John Akande,  said ”the chapter was in solidarity with other chapters in the country and joined in the protest to draw the attention of the federal government and other relevant stakeholders to the non-payment of their pension arrears”.

He called on the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, to kindly assist them draw the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan to their ordeal.

Akande said, “Our bulk salaries for the month of September, October, November and December should quickly be released to the agencies responsible for the payment of our monthly stipends and monthly pension, as we are being owed about N25bn nationwide which is the arrears of harmonisation, monetisation.

We also demand payment of all outstanding entitlements of PHCN retirees from proceeds of the privatisation.

These include gratuities, death benefits, pension arrears for the beneficiaries; “majority of us are old and majority are on sick bed and some are on drugs”, he added.

According to him, failure to pay their monthly pension is unleashing hardship on them, “we are appealing to the federal government through the state governor to please help us appeal to the federal government and President Goodluck Jonathan to please have mercy on us”