From Maiharaji Altine
Pensioners in Zamfara state have cried out over non payment of pension for the last four months, appealing to Governor Dauda Lawal to come to their aid.
Many pensioners who spoke to Analyzer news said they were going through top time as they found it very difficult to even feed their families.
One of the pensioners who gave his name as Mohammed Aminu said he had sold almost all belongings in an effort to feed his family, lamenting that, “I now find it difficult to provide even a square meal to my family”.
Aminu appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal to look into the possibility of settling the four months pension arrears so as to save the lives of many pensioners who he said were completely devastated due to object poverty.
He however stressed that, former Governor Bello Mattawalle was responsible for the pensioners’ predicament because he was not able to pay them for three months during his tenure.
“We are not blaming Dauda Lawal for the situation we are in at the moment because he inherited this mess from his predecessor, Bello Mattawalle”.
Another pensioner, Garba Shehu told Analyzer news that, his three children were sent out of school as he could pay for their school fees after several warnings from the proprietor of the school.
“I am ashamed of myself because my children are no longer attending classes despite my position as former director in one of the state ministries”.
Also speaking, a retired permanent secretary who begged for anonymity told Analyzer news that, he has sold the only family car in order to buy ram and food items for Sallah celebration.
“I tried my best to get loan in order to buy food items and ram for layya, but nobody was ready to give me credit because I am heavily indebted due to non payment of four months pension”.
“For this reason, I sold the only car I have at give-away price so that I could buy food items and ram for layya”.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to our caring Governor to please do something to bail us out of this hopeless situation”.
Speaking to Analyzer news on the issue, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Broadcast Media, Press and Public Affairs, Malam Mustafa Jafaru Kaura said, arrangements were on the pipeline to settle the pensioners as was done to civil servants.
Jafaru said, the pensioners would very soon smile, adding that, “Their issue is currently being discussed and action will soon be taken”.
He maitained that, the delay in payment of pension was as a result of so many irregularities discovered in the list of the retired civil servants.
According to him, some retired civil servants were dead for a long time but their names are still in the payment vouchers as pensioners.
He explained however that, the non payment of three months pension was inherited from the administration of former Governor Bello Mattawalle.
