N5bn Pension: How Deltans Forced Okowa To Make Part Payment – Omo-Agege

Delta All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said Deltans should congratulate themselves for forcing the state government to release funds for the part payment of pension arrears to retirees in the state.

The state government on Monday released the sum of N5 billion for the payment of pension arrears to retirees in the state. The commissioner for information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said the sum of N2.5 billion was released for the payment of pension arrears for state pensioners while N2.5 billion was also released as grant to local government pensions bureau for the payment of local government and primary school retirees.

Omo-Agege noted however that the N5billion released was merely scratching the surface and urged pensioners to continue to agitate until all pension arrears are paid up.

The Deputy Senate President in a statement signed by the director, Communication and Media Strategy, Delta APC Campaign Organisation, Ima Niboro, called on the state governor and PDP Vice Presidential Candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to refund all Delta state money used in prosecuting the PDP presidential campaign so far, and channel same to pay retirees their outstanding pensions and gratuities.

The statement reads: "We congratulate Deltans, especially Senator Ovie OmoAgege who upped the ante against the wickedness of the Okowa-led government and forced them to remember the long-suffering retirees of Delta State.

"We want to make it clear that what he has done is merely scratching the surface of the humongous N100 billion pensions and gratuities owed to our hardworking retirees.

"We are not even celebrating what he has done. But what we know is that he needs to repatriate all the money he has put in the way of the PDP presidential election. Not only to pay our retirees but to begin the serious development of the state even though we know he has just six months to go.