Association Of Retirees Appeal To Delta Govt To Harmonize Pension Benefits

Retirees of the Delta State Pubic Service under the aegis of Association of Contributory Retirees (ACR), has called on the state governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa to harmonize their pension benefits.

The ACR Chairman, Mr Isaiah Agbaka, who stated this while briefing newsmen on Friday in Asaba, said that the issues have been brought before the governor.

Agbaka, whose members disengaged from the state services from 2011 to date, said that the harmonization would put them at par with their counterparts in the local government services.

He said that their counterparts in the local government fare better because their actuarial was computed using N18, 000 minimum wage while N7, 500 minimum wage was used for them that retired in the state public service.

He said that the difference in the actuarial being done by different consulting firms has remained the challenge, adding that government needed to harmonize the accruing benefits using the N18, 000 minimum wage for all.

He said that its members are suffering and that some of them have died while struggling and asking for their rightfully entitlement.

According to Agbaka, the actuarial benefits done by the H.R Consulting firm is faulty because the computation was done using the N7, 500.

“We urge the governor to look into the issues and engage the Adigwu Consultancy Services which had computed that of the local government with the N18, 000 minimum wage to put us at paar with them.

“We are praying the government to upgrade our benefits to enable us live a better life and enjoy the fruits of our labour”.

He called on all relevant agencies to intervene to ensure that government do the needful, so as to prevent conflict and protest by the association.

He, however, commended the governor for increasing the allocation for payment of pension benefits for retirees under the contributory pension scheme from N300 million to N500 million monthly.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour and SERVICOM, Mr Mike Okeme, said that government was aware and had taken steps to harmonize their retirement benefits to put them at par with that of the local government retirees.