Edo Pensioners Protest Non-Payment Of Gratuities, Salary Harmonization, Others

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, October 12th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The senior citizens under the aegis of Retired Civil Servants Welfare of Nigeria, ARCSWON, in Edo State have protested against unpaid gratuities, non-harmonization of pensions among other welfare issues as pensioners in their numbers throng out blocking all adjoining roads thereby causing human and vehicular traffic .

The peaceful protest led to traffic congestion on major roads such as Sapele Road, Sakponba, Ekehuan, Uselu-Ugbowo axis and Airport Road linking the city centre, and hindered the free flow of movements by commuters plying the roads to their respective destinations.

The protesters, dressed in black attires, chanted songs such as “We shall overcome,” and carried placards with inscriptions such as “Pensioners need gratuity to take care of our health and our family,” “Pay our gratuity and harmonize our monthly pension,” among others.

Yusuf Bako, the spokesperson of the pensioners, kicked against illegal deduction from their monthly pensions and urged the state government to urgently effect harmonization owing to the diminishing purchasing power of Naira.

They appealed to the state government to accede to their demands as things were going too rough for them.

Bako, a former chairman of, Association of Senior Civil Servants in Edo State, threatened that the next protest would be a mother of all protests if the state government fails to grant their request.