Imo State to begin payment of pension arrears next month

Special Adviser to Governor Ihedioha on Media, Steve Osuji, has disclosed that the state government has concluded arrangements to commence payment of pension arrears owed retirees in the next one month.

Speaking while fielding questions from journalists on the Peoples Assembly programme on Hot FM, Osuji said there were about 40,000 retirees’ files being treated.

He explained that the pensioners, which have accumulated from 1976 when the state was created till date, were being captured on the state government’s digital biometric database.

He noted that it was better to have a comprehensive and reliable database for future purposes, than to stampede the government into paying pensioners wrongly.

It was learnt that about N60 billion or more is being owed the retirees, covering about 80 months arrears.