ASABA/Nigeria: The Association of Contributory Retirees (ACR) in Delta State has announced plans to stage a protest on Thursday, October 5, against a controversial proposal by the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Delta State to deduct N4 million from each retiree’s gratuity take-home benefits.
The decision to hold the protest was revealed in a communique issued following an emergency general meeting of ACR held in Ozoro on September 20. The communique, signed by Chief Mrs. Ejieh Helen Chionye, Chairperson of ACR, and Prince Ftuvwede Gordons, Secretary of ACR, outlined the retirees’ concerns regarding the proposed deductions.
During the meeting, which saw participation from over 3,000 retirees from across the State, discussions centered on ALGON’s plan to deduct N4 million from each retiree’s gratuity take-home benefit. The retirees expressed their strong opposition to what they described as an “evil, wicked, and inhuman” plan led by Hon. Victor Ebonka, Chairman of ALGON, which would further exacerbate the suffering and hardship retirees have endured for the past seven years due to unpaid gratuities.
This forthcoming protest on October 5 will mark the 12th demonstration in a series of actions aimed at securing the payment of overdue gratuities in Delta State. The issue has persisted, even after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assumed office, inheriting the problem from his predecessor, ex-governor Ifeanyi Okowa. Okowa had consistently ignored the demands of the retirees during the 11 previous protests held at the Government House in Asaba.
Governor Oborevwori, upon taking office, sought to find a solution and, in August 2023, granted approval for ALGON to obtain a N40 billion loan to partially settle the retirees’ outstanding debts.
However, a recent meeting held on September 1st between ALGON and ACR leadership took an unexpected turn when Hon. Victor Ebonka introduced an ALGON-hired consultant who presented a revised gratuity calculation, revealing a N4 million shortfall in each retiree’s take-home benefits. The retirees, who were already familiar with the gratuity calculation template used by the state government through the office of the Auditor General (local government) since the scheme’s inception in 2012, rejected this new arrangement.
In response to these developments, the retirees have petitioned Governor Oborevwori to intervene and address their concerns. They emphasized that if no action is taken by the government to revert to the old and original template for gratuity payments by the end of September 2023, they will interpret it as the Governor’s complicity in ALGON’s attempt to defraud them. As a result, they plan to converge on the Government House on October 5, where they will engage in a protest until the matter is resolved in their favour.
