Delta Retirees Protest Unpaid Pension, Blast Okowa for Ignoring Them and Focusing on Politics

• Aggrieved retired primary school teachers in Delta state have protested over non-payment of their pensions in the last eight years.
• The protesters, who blocked the Government House gate, carried placards with various inscriptions
• They also sat on the tarred road at the Government House gate waiting for a word from the governor

Asaba - Retirees from primary schools across 25 local government areas of Delta state have protested over nonpayment of pension

Dressed in black, the protesters for hours occupied the inter-state road and the entrance to the seat of government singing solidarity songs criticising the Okowa administration and accusing the governor of insensitivity.

The Nation newspaper reports that the retirees also accused the governor of preoccupying himself with the political campaigns towards 2023 while they lavish in pains and hunger.

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The retirees carried placards of different inscriptions such as “Wicked Okowa pay us our pensions,’ and ‘Okowa you are owing the leaving and the dead’ among others.

They also blocked the popular Anwai road causing heavy gridlock along the road as many of them sat on the road with mat, shouting “Only Okowa will address us.”

Okowa's representative shunned by protesters

Vanguard newspaper reports that the Delta state commissioner for finance, Fidelis Tilije, who attempted to address them, was not listened to.

Tilije, however, said the state’s liability on pension arrears is about N27 billion, adding that the state’s debt size was not more than N272 billion currently.

Tilije said about N110 billion is owed to contractors and outstanding pension while balance comprises debt was inherited by the Okowa administration.

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Peter Obi: Okowa’s aide resigns to join ‘Obidient’ movement in Delta state

Recall that Osheokwu Onochie, the senior special assistant on youth development to Okowa, recently tendered his resignation letter.

Onochie said he took the decision in order to fully support the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.

The resignation was contained in a letter signed by Onochie and forwarded to the governor through the secretary to the state government.

Delta govt sacks appointee for supporting 'OBIdient' movement

In a related development, Atare Awin, a media technical aide of the Delta state commissioner in charge of the directorate of project monitoring and audit, Anthony Onoriode Ofoni, was sacked recently.

Awin was relieved of her duties for supporting the presidential bid of Obi via her Facebook page.

In a letter personally signed by Ofoni on Tuesday, October 4, the commissioner stated that Awin was fired for sharing counter opinions about Governor Okowa’s administration.

Source: Legit.ng