"Save us from Avoidable death" IBC Pensioners tell Okorocha

“it is enslavement, no longer rescue mission” - Pensioners

By Nnamdi Iheagwaram

Pensioners of Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) recently carried out a peaceful protest barricading the main entrance to the Corporation at Akanchawa Road to press home their demands. The members who trooped out in their numbers carried placards with inscriptions such as “Save IBC Pensioners from Avoidable death” “Pay us our 40 months arrears of pension, enough is enough”. “it is enslavement, no longer rescue mission”.

The chairman of the association comrade Chidi Madu while speaking to newsmen called on the state Government to implement without delay the recommendations of the Technical Committee on payment of retirement benefits to retired IBC Staff. According to Comrade Madu, the present administration inherited five months pension arrears from the previous administration, pointing out that the pension arrears rose to 22 months by September 2012 and hence in October 2012 they staged a peaceful protest which culminated in the setting up of the Technical Committee with Mr. Chinedu Ofor as Chairman.

Continuing, Madu said that the committee, among other things, recommended the upward review of monthly subvention to  N26 Million to augment the internally generated revenue of about N15 Million generated by the corporation. To resolve issues of monthly salaries, pensions and overhead cost and to be able to pay the backlog of pensions, government should accede to the release of local government publicity package of N243 Million owed to the IBC but kept in the coffers of Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Madu regretted that till date these recommendations made by the Committee have not been implemented pointing out there had been series of peaceful protests which have not yielded any positive results, even when the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. T.O.E. Ekechi assured them, on behalf of the Government, but stated that the efforts of the Commissioner till date have not yielded any results even when they demanded an increase in the monthly subvention to IBC to N30 Million. Comrade Madu, however, called on the Government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha to implement the payment of the 40 month pension arrears and the regular monthly pension to IBC retirees so that the sweat of the heroes past shall not be in vain.      

©2014 Nigerian Hotline Newspaper