Unpaid Gratuities: Anambra Retirees Lament ‘Insensitive Attitude Of Govt, ‘ Threaten Hunger Strike

Retired civil servants in Anambra State, weekend, vowed to embark on a hunger strike to press Gov Willie Obiano to pay their gratuities, which was last paid in 2017.

Mr Anthony Ugozor, the state chairman of the pensioners, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Awka. According to Mr Ugozor, the pensioners were being owed over four years’ arrears of gratuities. He said as a result, the retirees would take a decision on when to begin the hunger strike early next year.

In his words, “We don’t know what to do about this insensitive attitude of the government again. We are no longer in active service, and the government is treating our matter with levity because it knows we can no longer embark on an industrial dispute.

“We may consider hunger strike after our meeting. The only problem we may have about hunger strike is whether it will not be detrimental to our health at our age. But members will decide that in our meeting.

“I got my December 2020 pension before Christmas. We thank Governor Willie Obiano for that. He pays pensions regularly, but the pension is not all that the pensioners need. We are dying in piecemeal. The governor should pay us our gratuities.”

Ugozor revealed that the last time the state government paid gratuities to the pensioners was in 2017.