Abia State Governor Alex Otti Accuses Pensioners’ Leaders of Dishonesty Over Arrears Agreement

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has accused the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the state of dishonesty regarding the pension arrears owed by previous administrations. The governor alleged that the union reneged on an agreement to forfeit the arrears, a claim the union strongly denies.

Speaking over the weekend, Governor Otti insisted that the pensioners’ leaders signed a Memorandum of Agreement regarding the pension arrears but later denied doing so. He described them as “dishonest” and vowed never to engage in negotiations with them again.

“Did you see that they signed the Memorandum of Agreement? I saw a newspaper report where they said they didn’t sign. So, you can see that we are dealing with a dishonest set of leaders. The pensioners are honest people; their leaders are dishonest. And we don’t reward dishonesty,” Otti said.

He further expressed frustration over the situation, emphasizing that past administrations owed pensioners for nearly a decade without intervention. According to him, his administration took steps to clear the backlog, but instead of appreciating the effort, the pensioners’ leaders turned against the government.

“I never owed them. They kept quiet all these years, some for 10 years. And somebody came out to say, ‘I want to clear this backlog,’ and they were excited. I have told this story several times,” Otti added.

He also alleged that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was behind the pensioners’ pushback, claiming that their lawyer is affiliated with the opposition party.

Reacting to the governor’s claims, Elder Chukwuemeka Irondi, Chairman of the Abia State NUP, admitted that the Otti administration has been consistent in paying monthly pensions. However, he denied that the union signed an agreement to forfeit their arrears.

Irondi alleged that the state government invited the pensioners to a late-night meeting, where they were pressured into signing an agreement. He insisted that pensioners are merely demanding what is rightfully theirs, as many have endured financial hardship due to years of unpaid entitlements.

Governor Otti made it clear that he would no longer engage in discussions with the pensioners’ leadership.

“These people signed; they had walked away from everything. But I said no, it is not fair, out of my own magnanimity. I’m not going to be discouraged because a few people are dishonest,” he said.

He further challenged the pensioners to return the payments they have already received if they believe the government has not treated them fairly.

“If somebody is unhappy that he is being paid 100% of his pension monthly, he should return the ones he has been paid and continue wearing black,” he added.

The Abia State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned Governor Otti’s remarks, calling them “reckless, insensitive, and deeply disrespectful” to senior citizens who have dedicated their lives to serving the state.

In a statement, the PDP accused the governor of failing to fulfill his campaign promise to pay off all pension arrears.

“We find it necessary to ask a fundamental question: Who is truly dishonest? Is it the pensioners who are simply demanding what is rightfully theirs, or a Governor who claimed to have cleared all outstanding pensions, a narrative aggressively pushed by his government and its agents?” the PDP said.

The party further criticized Otti for allegedly blackmailing pensioners into giving up their entitlements and urged him to apologize.

“It is on record that during his election campaign, Governor Alex Otti solemnly promised to clear all outstanding pension arrears once elected. However, rather than fulfilling that promise, he has resorted to blackmailing and maligning the same pensioners who voted for him,” the statement continued.

The controversy surrounding pension arrears in Abia State has escalated into a political and social dispute. While Governor Otti maintains that he has been fair in addressing the issue, the pensioners’ union and opposition parties argue otherwise. As the debate continues, affected pensioners await a resolution that ensures their financial security.