Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State was reportedly ambushed by angry members of the Delta State Local Government/Primary School Contributory Retirees, who protested at Asaba, the state capital on Thursday.
The protest action by the retirees follows the non-payment of retirement benefits by the Okowa administration spanning the last seven years.
The protesting retirees barricaded the entrance of an event center where the graduation ceremony of beneficiaries of an empowerment program was held.
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The aggrieved protesters who chanted solidarity songs, insisted for the governor to pay their retirement benefits as they were tired of his unfulfilled promises year in and out.
Some of the retirees lamented that their colleagues have died without being paid their benefits, saying even benefactors of the deceased retirees have been deprived from accessing the accrued sums.
Okowa reportedly snuck out of the venue through a non-exit gate upon being informed that the retirees, who were owed gratuity and pensions, were protesting, leaving elder statesmen and women unaddressed.
They accused Governor Okowa of planning to see out his tenure in office without paying their retirement benefits.
The protestors bore inscriptions such as:
“Luke 10v7, For the worker needs his wages”, “Okowa pay us our pensions and gratuities now”, “Okowa stop killing the retirees”, “Retirees are suffering and dying daily.
“Governor Okowa we urge you to pay our fathers and mothers their retirement benefits and save the state this show of shame exhibited today.
“If you call yourself EKWUEME please act in accordance with your name and save the state this kind of embarrassments all the time”.
See photos from the protest action below.
Credit: Tony Okwunebe|Facebook
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