Ngige Faults Obi’s Claim on N35bn Anambra Pension Arrears
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has disagreed with the claim by former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi that he (Obi) inherited N35 billion arrears of pension and gratuity.
In a statement issued yesterday by his Media Office, Ngige described as false, recent claim by Obi in a media interview that he inherited N35 billion arrears of pension and gratuity.
Ngige said it is unfortunate that Obi often prefers to falsify the history of the state and assault the memories of the people, all in an attempt to discredit his predecessor.
“He creates a mischievous silhouette of every contribution that preceded his administration as if Anambra came into being with his ascension to office . It is certain. Mr. Obi’s problem with statistics and history is orchestrated and deliberate. It aligns well with his sustained efforts to distort, defile and destroy all previous efforts, which stood Anambra firmly on solid human and infrastructural integrity before his assumption of office in March 2006. Unfortunately, violating the memory of the people is quite a herculean task especially where concrete facts refuse to make selves available for vitiation .
“We wish therefore to place on record that the payment of salaries as and when due in Anambra State commenced in June 2003 under the Chris Ngige administration who also authorised the payment of two months salary arrears. The administration went a step further to invite the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and an agreement in November 2003 for a new 143 per cent rise in pension package, payable retroactively June 2003. Payment was affected in December that year with a seven-month new package arrears.
The statement stated that when Obi assumed office in 2006 and started his payment of old pensions arrears in 2008, the quantum of arrears was only about N7billion.
“We do not therefore understand why he is claiming to have paid N35billion except he is smartly annexing all the payments made under Ngige who also cleared N42 billion state salary and gratuity arrears as well as N15 billion salary and gratuities arrears at the local governments.
“It is high time this effortless falsification of Anambra history was checked . Ngige left no debt for Obi except the tiny arrears of old rates pension, that were not up to N4billion. The reason was that most of the affected workers returned from Enugu, and reconciliation ongoing with the Enugu State Government by the time Ngige exited office.
“This also brings to mind, the issue of return of schools to the mission which Obi ceaselessly claim in exclusivity. The fact is that the exercise had to wait for over two decades for Ngige since Jim Nwobodo last returned St. Monica, Ogbunike and St. Charles College, Onitsha during the Second Republic.