Rochas Okorocha, Imo State
Governor and four of his aides have been dragged to the National
Industrial Court by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Imo State
chapter, for allegedly withholding and slashing of their monthly pensions.
Three claimants
and officials: Messrs Gideon Ezeji, Livinus Ashiegbu and Fabian Agba
want the court to declare unconstitutional, a letter issued to Imo
pensioners by the state government slashing their monthly pensions by 60
per cent.
The
originating summons filed at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria,
Owerri Judicial Division, marked NICN/OW/144/2017, which contained
claims and other facts of the suit was made available to Daily Sun
yesterday.
The
court pointed out that section 210(1) of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) states that pensioners in
Imo public service, including the second to fourth claimants have right
to pension.
They
are praying the court to declare that Okorocha acted
unconstitutionally when he slashed the accrued sums due to the
pensioners in the public service of Imo by 60 per cent.
The claimants want the court to set aside the letter/form prepared by Imo government under Okorocha, addressed to the Accountant-General and entitled “Letter of Set off in Respect of my Outstanding Pension Arrears.”
The
pensioners demanded the court to make an order of perpetual injunction
restraining the defendants, by themselves, representatives, successors
or whatsoever name called from implementing, executing the content of
the said letter/form.
Ezeji,
the Imo NUP state chairman explained that the union approached the
court as the last resort, adding, “we have exhausted all avenues for a
peaceful resolution of this matter, yet nothing meaningful came out of
our efforts for Okorocha to do the needful.
“The
leadership of NUP oppose the slashing of the meagre money we receive
as monthly pension because our governor publicly said that there is no
economic recession in Imo and his lifestyle and that of his appointees
support that position.
“It
will be an aberration for the state that is economically buoyant to
trick its pensioners into forfeiting their legitimate pension which the
state government had refused to review upward for more than 10 years now
and so, we want the court to interpret the relevant sections of the
constitution,” he said.
Ezeji said hearing on the suit has been fixed for Tuesday April 4, 2017, saying “pensioners will attend the court sitting in Owerri in their numbers next Tuesday in spite the failing health of some members who are now owed about three years pension arrears.”