peaceful protest, in Owerri the state capital against the government
over unpaid entitlements.
The aggrieved pensioners took to the main streets and junctions
of the city bearing placards with different inscriptions on them. They
also blocked a hub located at the Okigwe roundabout which resulted in
a serious traffic lock-up. The chairman of the union for the state
chapter told the press that what they were doing was a tip, as worse
actions will be seen from them if the government does not adress their
issue.
Gideon Ezeji, the state chairman of the union, said that in the
past various futile attempts had been made by the union to negotiate
with the government, and that if the government continues to neglect
them, they will be forced to remain on the streets. All efforts to
calm the group by security personnel proved very unsuccesful, so much
was their anger that if they were youths, most probably the protest
would have resulted to chaos.
Meanwhile, the commissioner in charge of pension matters for the
state, in an adress on the media, pleaded with the pensioneers to have
patience. He added that, their entitlements were ready, but the
government was facing the challenge of compiling the list of
pensioners in the state.
It should also be noted that the state government headed by Rochas
Okorocha is also owing the civil servants, months of salaries.
