Pensioners and their families had in July blocked the entrance of Taraba State Government House in Jalingo, demanding their unpaid gratuities estimated at N30billion.
Pensioners in Taraba State have taken to the streets of Jalingo to demand the arrest of the State Governor, Darius Ishaku by the men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Pensioners and their families had in July blocked the entrance of Taraba State Government House in Jalingo, demanding their unpaid gratuities estimated at N30billion.
Vehicular movement at the entrance gate, which was taken over by the protesters, was briefly distorted.
The retirees, who stormed the state capital from the 16 local councils and two special development areas of the state, demanded that their pension and gratuity arrears be paid without delay.
Chanting “Darius pay us our pension and gratuities,” they lamented that the state government, under Governor Darius Ishaku caused untold hardship on them and their families.
While they accused the state government of lackadaisical attitude towards their plight, vowing not to relent in pressing home their demands.
The peaceful protest, which was under heavy tight security, began from the pensioners’ office in Jalingo and led by the chairman, Kefas Katan, the Taraba pensioners lamented that the backlog of their gratuities had risen to over N30billion.
They also expressed sadness that over 1000 of their colleagues at the local councils had yet to be enrolled for pension or paid gratuities, 10 years after retirement.
However, on Saturday the aggrieved pensioners took to the streets of the state capital are demanding the immediate payment of their fifteen years of pensions and gratuity.
The pensioners lamented the dwindling conditions of pensioners spread across the state, stressing that some of their colleagues, according to them, have died, others are finding it cumbersome to make ends living, just because of the Governor's lukewarm attitudes towards them.
They explained that their children and wards have been thrown out of the four walls of the classroom, “some of us” they said, “are bedridden in our houses.”
The protesters led by the chairman, Silas Jafter vowed not to relent on treading all the available legitimate paths in compelling the governor to bow to their legitimate demands, described the state governor as “a heartless leader.”
According to the pensioners, the EFCC should wade in by arresting the governor to account for all the monthly subventions he has been getting from the federation account as well as the loans he has been obtaining.
Meanwhile, Secretary to the State Government State (SSG), Anthony Jelleson while addressing the pensioners, said that the government is working round the clock to address their plights.