- Peter Nwoga, Ebonyi state pensioner has been denied of his entitlements by the state government for over half a decade
- According to him, he missed the state pension verification exercise some years ago due his ill health which he has explained to his employer
- Wheelchair-bound paraplegic sends SOS to the state government, appealing that his withheld entitlements be paid
For Mr. Peter Nwoga of Ezza-Effium, Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi state, life is daily becoming unenjoyable, harsher and unbearable.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that the wheelchair-bound state pensioner
has been allegedly denied his entitlements by his employer since 2019 when he missed the state pension verification exercise due to his ill health.
However, according to Mr. Nwoga, despite the reverification exercise in 2022 after several letters to the state exercise, nothing has happened.
In the letter entitled “SOS to the governor of Ebonyi State Hon. Prince Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru.” and made available to WITHIN NIGERIA reads thus;
“SOS to the governor of Ebonyi State Hon. Prince Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru.
“Your excellency Sir!
“With due respect, and without prejudice, permit me to reach you through this medium, since my efforts to reach you via your subordinates, proved abortive.
“I do sincerely hope that in your magnanimity, you will give my case deserved attention which will extricate me from the quagmire of man made problems I had been subjected to for the past five years and six months now.
“I am a wheelchair bound paraplegic. I retired from Ebonyi State civil service in 2012. All these while, I attended yearly verification exercises. Not until 2019, I developed complications due to sedentary nature of my disability. I got admission in the hospital, and operated upon.
“The 2019 verification coincided with that period I was hospitalized I could not attend. I send people to meet the then Head of Service, I. was not given listening ears. I wrote seven letters, three to the Head of Service, and four to other government officials like the then secretary to the governor, among others, but no response. All these letters were sent through NIPOST.”
Narrating further his ordeal, Mr. Nwoga explained that “I wrote open letter to your predecessor through Citizens Advocate but no response. I wrote another “Man’s Inhumanity to man”.it was after that , the then acting Head of Service invited me with other 30 senior citizens involved. After the re-verification nothing was done till 2022.
“I had to go to court after pre-action notice by my lawyer. The matter lasted for three years before the judgment was delivered in my favor. It’s now five years and six months my pensions had been with held. It’s also ten months the judgement was delivered. Permit me to add here that I am yet to collect my repatriation allowance and my (NHS) allowance 13 years after my retirement.”
Appealing to the state government, Mr. Nwoga concluded, “please come to my aid and that of other 30 senior citizens who are not paid for the past five years, and six months now. (Peter Nwoga 09025295104).”
