By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
Pensioners in Imo State have expressed deep gratitude to Governor Hope Uzodimma for ending a 20-year-long struggle by paying their outstanding gratuities.
This gesture, they said, is unprecedented, as no administration in the state had considered settling their dues since the return of democracy in 1999.
Comrade J.B. Ugochukwu, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Imo, spoke to the press in Owerri, hailing the governor for this remarkable act of compassion.
He emphasized that the payment of gratuities, along with the clearing of pension arrears, has brought significant relief to the pensioners, who now receive their monthly pensions regularly.
Ugochukwu described the gesture as something that will forever be etched in the memories of the senior citizens.“We can’t thank our God-sent governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, enough.
While not every pensioner has received their full gratuity, the majority have been paid and are overwhelmed with gratitude,” he said.
Several pensioners shared their emotional reactions to receiving the long-awaited payments.Mrs. Mary Nkemjika, who retired in 2009, expressed her disbelief after waiting 15 years for her gratuity.
Since my retirement, no government had paid me a single kobo in gratuities, and the monthly pension was often irregular.
I can’t thank His Excellency enough for this miracle,” she said.Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, a pensioner from Arondizuogu, was also overwhelmed with joy upon receiving his gratuity.“I never thought I would live to see this day.
It’s only God that could have used the governor to accomplish such a feat. I give all glory to Him,” he remarked.Similarly, Mr. Joe Nwadike, a pensioner from Aboh Mbaise, expressed his gratitude after waiting 17 years for his gratuity.
He prayed for a long life for Governor Uzodimma and praised the regular payment of his monthly pension since the governor’s administration took office.
For Nwadike, the payment of gratuities was the “icing on the cake.”“I have personally written to the Commissioner for Information, asking him to convey my thanks to the governor,” he said.
“I am still waiting for his reply, as what has happened now has never happened since 1999.
”In conclusion, pensioners in Imo State have found new hope, with many now celebrating the historic payment of their gratuities and the governor’s commitment to ensuring their welfare.
