By Amos Aar
THE gubernatorial candidate of the Accord Party in Benue State, Dr Matthias Oyigeya, has promised that if given the mandate on March 11, 2023, he will be paying Benue retirees their regular pension latest on the 25th of every month and workers will be paid their gratuity upon retirement in a lump sum.
The former Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, made the pledge Monday during an interactive forum with reporters at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, Makurdi.
Oyigeya, who noted that gratuity is a “more serious issue”, promised to separate it from pension and wondered why pension which is considered by him as a small amount of money should be allowed to pile up.
“If I’m given opportunity to go to Government House, whoever that will be retiring during my time will not have to queue to collect pension and gratuity, especially gratuity. The day you are retiring, we are given your cheque in lump sum, there’s nothing like go and queue and wait.
“Pension is not big money, I don’t know why they are having issues with payment of pension. I consider pension to be a small problem but they are having problem with it and I don’t know exactly why. If I get to the office, the total pension per month for state and local government workers will be looked at. But I don’t think pension perse is a problem just the same way payment of salaries shouldn’t be a problem. Where I think there is problem is gratuity because it is big money. But if you don’t allow it to pile up, it won’t be a problem,” Oyigeya asserted.
He assured that after the first screening, he will not be subjecting the retirees to unnecessary screenings each time they are to be paid pension and gratuity subsequently.
Dr Oyigeya, who said he was well-favoured by zoning arrangement, alleged that the Tiv people have insulted the Idoma people, making them angry and the situation will avail him an advantage to win zone C and some parts of Tiv land including sub-cultural groups to emerge victorious at the polls.
While he debunked Tiv marginalisation against Idoma in the state, asserting that people are not marginalised because they lack population but lack ideas, Oyigeya maintained that the Tiv people have insulted the Idoma paramount ruler by refusing to make an Idoma person the next Benue governor after the Och’Idoma allegedly knelt down to beg the Tiv paramount ruler to be given the seat.
“When a paramount ruler has to leave his palace to go and kneel before another paramount ruler to beg for a seat and you deceive him, they brought out only one person as an aspirant for a big party; that’s an insult. The Idoma people are angry for the first time and I am going to get a lot of votes from there. So, I’m positioned to win”, Oyigeya expressed confidence.
He however specified that it’s not all Tiv people that are marginalising Idoma, it’s only Ipusu, pointing out that former Governors Aper Aku, Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu, George Akume and Gabriel Suswam were all from Ipusu part of the Tiv nation while Ichongo has produced only the incumbent Governor Samuel so far since 1976.
“Many Tiv people are not happy with what is happening again. They are not happy that a part of Tiv is holding onto power all the time.
“With all due respect to the Ipusu people, the Ipusu people are the ones holding power, not the whole Tiv. It’s the Ipusu people that are enslaving the rest of us”, he insisted.
On what he will do for the state, Matthias Oyigeya promised that he will set up small factories in partnership with individuals who will pay Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) taxes to government to enhance the revenue base.
Having observed that all industries in Benue State apart from Benue Links Transport Company Ltd have been moribund over the years and businesses not flourishing, Oyigeya said he will revive industries and create enabling environment for businesses to thrive by centralising revenue collection, adding that the Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) will not contract companies to collect revenue but youths in the state will be engaged to do the job in order to cut cost.
As part of measures to stop herders versus farmers crisis in the state, the Accord Party guber candidate made it known that the Benue State university, Makurdi (BSU) and other universities will be engaged to research into the causes of the crisis to proffer lasting solutions rather than resorting to “speculations”.
He added that youths will be recruited from every village into the Benue volunteer guards to protect their communities.
Dr Oyigeya also promised to establish one hospital each in every senatorial district of the state and one primary health care center in each council ward in order to make health more accessible and affordable for people especially rural dwellers.
He expressed appreciation to Comrade Vincent Nyinongu-led NUJ Benue council for creating a platform for candidates of political parties to sell their visions to the masses.
In his remarks, NUJ Chairman, Comrade Vincent Nyinongu, requested the Accord Party candidate to help renovate the union’s state secretariat if elected.
