Workers from the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) have staged a protest , besieging the office of the State Accountant General, demanding the payment of pension arrears owed their retired colleagues.
The protesters, comprising members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-teaching staff unions, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-academics Staff Unions of Universities (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), expressed their frustration and disappointment over the non-payment of pension arrears to retired staff.
The retirees vowed to deposit the corpse of any pensioner who ventures to die in a process of trying to secure the pension fund from the accountant general ‘s office.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Comrade Odong Bassey Ekeh, chairman of NASU and secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Cross River State, stated that the workers were forced to take drastic measures to bring attention to the plight of their retired colleagues.
“Our grievance is that a system is in place to ensure that pensions are computed, audited, and paid, unfortunately, payments have not been made since June this year,” Ekeh said.
Ekeh expressed dismay that many retirees are suffering from abject poverty, and some have even died without receiving their pensions.
He described the situation as “ill-treatment” and called on the state governor, Bassey Otu, to intervene and ensure that the retirees receive their dues.
The protesters alleged that the accountant general’s office is seeking the governor’s approval to pay the pensions, but questioned why this should be a complex process.
“We are not asking for favour; we are demanding our rights,” Ekeh said. “The government is funding the university, and it’s their responsibility to ensure that retirees are paid their pensions and gratuities.”
The protesters warned that if the issue is not resolved, they would be forced to take further action, including escalating the matter to the national level.
The development has sparked concerns about the welfare of retirees and the need for the government to take urgent action to address the issue.
