By Amos Aar
RETIREES in Benue State are being owed huge arrears. While retired local government employees are owed 72 months, their counterpart retired state employees are in arrears of 34 months, the chairperson of the Benue State Council of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Michael Vembe, reveals. It is well known all over the state that Comrade Vembe is not only a very good friend of the state governor, Samuel Ortom, but also openly canvasses for non-aggression in the demand for payment of pension arrears, a posture that gave impetus to the emergence of a factional union of pensioners in the state under the aegis of Concerned and Aggrieved Pensioners, headed by Comrade Alexander Akoso Orban.
In this interview last week in Gbajimba, Guma LGA of Benue State, with correspondents of National Record, Daily Asset, and National Device, Vembe, calls on the state’s pensioners to stop agitation and rather be patient and friendly with Governor Ortom as unpaid pensions pile up. Excerpts!
Question: You have been working closely with the present government despite the fact that it is owing accumulated pension. What is the secret?
Comrade Vembe: The fact is that, we are aware that the Benue State Government is owing pension but the basic thing about it is that we need this pension to be paid and one best aspect is that, we have to be friendly with the Benue State Government because once you are friendly with somebody you can get whatever you want; so, we are moving in good terms with the governor of Benue State and we are asking him that these are your projects, these are your outstanding; pay us these outstanding pensioners. I have been talking to him every time, even right now I am here, if I have opportunity, I am not talking any other thing but I am talking about pension to him.
Question: Now that you have been friendly and talking to him, what is the result so far?
Comrade Vembe: The result is that, you will discover that December last year, state pensioners were paid one month. It reduced the number and we want him also to pay one month in January. We are also asking him to look for a loan so that he can upset part of the pension before he leaves and he is still working towards that.
He told us some other time that he has another bank that is trying to give him about forty-something billion so that he can upset pension and we are still waiting and counting on him that if he cannot get monthly pension that can take care, he should get a loan and at least settle part of it before he will leave. That is what we are after.
Question: Sir, you have been so visible at rallies of PDP, where is your place at these rallies?
Comrade Vembe: The fact is that, I am always visible here because, PDP is leading Benue. It is the government in power for now. So, if you are not with PDP, how can you access the governor to talk to him relating to your welfare? It is obvious that I have to be here. If I am not here, I am an antagonist and he may not listen to me. This is one of the strategies I have adopted and that is why I am here.
Question: Do have any knowledge of any recent development with respect to the Benue State Pension Commission?
Comrade Vembe: We know that Benue State keyed into pension commission and are already working. At least by now, it should be working towards getting a loan to assist government because they are almost three years on the throne. So, we expect that they should not only be collecting money but they should be using the avenue to make sure they pay pension at the national level and at least get a loan even if it is not what can cover all but at least to help the government to reduce the amount owed as pension and gratuity arrears.
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Question: Are you satisfied with the effort of the governor so far as regards pension and gratuity?
Comrade Vembe: The way we are talking to him, he is making a lot of efforts because at least to be frank, the local government, they are owing them at least 72 months; it is not a small matter, to be cleared because they are accumulation from the previous governors. As for state pensioners, they are owing them about 34 months plus the accumulation from the previous government.
What we are appealing to him [Governor Ortom] is that, now that you are also going to leave us with so many months, try, get loan and settle some of these things because, some of these loans you are not the one that is going to pay, it is the coming governor that is going to pay as you were also given arrears. You can also give few arrears to the next governor who is coming so that he will have less to start from there and pay all.
One thing I have to add is that we are also interested in who is coming to lead us and that is why we have decided to set a political committee in the NUP in Benue State and we charged the committee to look at the aspirants across the political divide and give us feedback on who has the ambition to pay us when he comes in. We have even charged them to make sure that they talk to the leaders of all the political parties, talk to the aspirants in next generation to come but some of them, even the current one may not let us hear from them who have programme for us. So, we can only vote those who have programme for pensioners in the state.
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Question: The pensioners in Benue have gone on several protests demanding for their pay, what has been the result of the protest so far?
Comrade Vembe: It is not the protest that can influence the governor to pay, it is the good relationship with the governor that I have told you. You have to be friendly but if you are protesting on the road, give me money, give me money; even if you are a father, and you have a son that attacks you each time, saying give me money, give me money, without even caring to know whether you have the money, you will not be pleased with that child. So, that is the reason I have decided to engage him.
We are not protesting, some of the protesters, they call them aggrieved pensioners; we called them to come back, let’s sit together and discuss. Their own is that, let us come out every Wednesday and protest. They are even trying to spoil our case because when we talk to the governor and he is willing to give us something, you find them on the road. The governor will now say, I am giving you something and you are going on the road for what?
So, my appeal to them is that, let them come back, we can sit together and decide on what to do because our leadership was born by the Benue pensioners but their own just opted out. We were actually voted by pensioners in Benue State but their own is just a group. So, having a faction will not help them, let them come back and together, let us find a solution to our problem.
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