About 100 retirees of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, Uli, Anambra State stormed the Igbariam Campus of the university last Wednesday, carrying placards of different inscriptions depicting anger to protest backlog of pension and gratuities.
The protesters, whose ages ranged between 70 and 85 years, were complaining that since they retired ten years ago, the university management had not been able to pay their pensions, gratuities and other entitlements.
Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “Pay us for job well done. Many of us have died”; ” Govt pay us, save our lives; we have dependents;” “Life is hard without money, please, we need our entitlements,” “Do we not deserve our dues or do you want to pay our dead bodies?”
Chief Emenike Frank, leader of the group, said most of them started work with the institution since 1996, when it was still Anambra State Polytechnic; before it converted to a university. “Most of us retired in 2010; some retired earlier, but since then, we have not received our entitlements as pensions and gratuities.
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“About seven of our colleagues have died since we started this agitation; but government and the school management have not addressed our anxieties. We have written several letters to that effect, but we got no response.
“We appeal to the management to come to our help, because, we are aged and cannot do any other work. We also have dependants”, he said.
85-year-old retiree of the university, Lawrence Uhuoha, former Chief Caretaker at the Department of Works in the university, who was among the retirees, begged the university management and Anambra State government to offset their backlog of pensions and gratuities now that they were alive; not when they die.
“At this age, I believe I am very close to my grave. I worked hard during my active years. I want to enjoy the fruit of my sweat before I join my ancestors,” he pleaded.
Prof. Solomon Ekwenze, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), who addressed the aged protesters on behalf of the school management, thanked the retirees for the matured way they relayed their message.
Ekwenze urged the retirees to exercise patience with the university as, according to him, the school management was working hard to offset their accumulated pensions and gratuities.
“As you are all aware, your letters were handled by former university administration; but since Prof Greg Nwakoby came on board as VC, we have just received one of your letters, which we are already working on. Persevere, very soon, you will smile. You worked hard for this university; therefore, the management will not allow your labours to be in vain,” he promised.
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