Delta State retirees under the aegis of Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) Pensioners, on Tuesday, said they were satisfied over regular payments of their monthly pensions but were surprised by how the state government treats them any time the federal government approves an increase in their monthly pensions.
They appealed to Ifeanyi Okowa, the state governor, to have a change of mind and fully implement the arrears of the 33% pension increase awarded to them in 2010. At a meeting held in Asaba on Tuesday by the DBS group, the senior citizens said the increase which took effect in July 2010 was implemented in October 2019 with an outstanding of 99 months still hanging to be paid.
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“The 33% pension increase was granted to all Pensioners nationwide, irrespective of dates of retirement and salary grade level but in Delta state, the government only paid pensioners who retired before 2000 the 33% and pensioners who retired after 2000 on salary grade level 01-6 were paid 20% while those on salary grade 07-16 were paid 15%,” a statement signed by Silver Savbede, the group’s chairman read.
Also, the pensioners demanded the payment of consequential adjustment of pensioners’ monthly pay occasioned by the N30,000 minimum wage awarded to serving workers with arrears of 54 months. The chairman demanded the payment of the arrears saying” the pensioners also buy in the same market as other people”.
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