Wike, Pay Rivers State Pensioners Now
It was heart-wrenching watching Rivers State pensioners on the streets of Port Harcourt last Wednesday. They were protesting against huge unpaid pension arrears and gratuities. The pensioners, mainly retirees from 2015 till date, commenced their protest from the Rivers State secretariat complex, but were stopped by policemen from storming Rivers State Government House. How I wish they were allowed to smoke out Governor Nyesom Wike from the Government House. When next they are on the streets, they must occupy the Government House by force in order to send a message to Wike. This governor’s silence on this issue is infuriating.
It has been over six years of trauma for these seniors. Wike has denied them their pension arrears and gratuities since the inception of this administration. One protester remarked: “So many retirees have died; over three hundred have died. Our children are out of school, marriages have broken, so what have we done wrong?” Haba! This is outright wickedness. Wike should show some respect to these seniors by paying all their entitlements.
While the coldblooded Rivers State Governor is spending billions of Naira on largely useless bridges in Port Harcourt, the state’s senior citizens are dying in droves. The blood of these people is on Wike’s head. He knows this but cares less. Well, let Wike continue to ignore the seniors. Judgement Day is around the corner. Someday, somehow, Wike will account for the ill-treatment of these seniors.