SOLDIERS DISPERSE PROTESTING PENSIONERS IN CALABAR
Men of the Nigerian army on Monday, November 2, reportedly chased away pensioners protesting non-payment of their pensions by the State Government in Calabar, Cross River State capital.
The pensioners had blocked the Murtala Mohammed highway before they were dispersed by the soldiers, Punch reports.
The pensioners arrived at the planned protest arena but were not allowed to settle down when the soldiers chased them away, eyewitness told Punch correspondents.
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He said,"Some journalists who came there were also flogged by the soldiers, and everyone ran away. They could not speak with the pensioners before this happened."
While reacting to this, the Special Adviser Media and Publicity to Governor Ben Ayade, Christian Ita, said in a statement titled, 'Cross River not owing verified pensioners, says commissioner,' that no verified pensioner in the State or Local Government service was owed pension.
"Speaking with some local government retirees who claimed to be owed months of pension, the state Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mrs Stella Odey, promised that every genuine pensioner would be paid once they undergo screening and are captured in the payroll.
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"She said the periodic screening became imperative following the discovery of a high number of ghost pensioners in the payroll.
"According to her, no verified pensioner is owed a dime by the state government. She urged them to cooperate with the government by submitting themselves for screening to be captured for payment," the statement read.
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