Revisiting Abia pension arrears, hallmark of people-oriented leadership

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By Eagle Okoro

Gov. Chioma Alex Otti of Abia, again on Saturday, acquitted his ardent apologists, including this writer, who had predicted that the kind heart in the man behind the wheel in the Abia Government House would definitely cause him to bend over backwards to have a second look at the issues surrounding the lingering 45 months pension arrears he inherited from the most insensitive and wicked administration that ever existed in the history of the state, led by former Gov. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu.

So, it was quite gratifying listening to the cheering news that filtered out of an interdenominational church service, organised in honour of Sen. Chris Adighije’s 80th anniversary, at the Queen Elizabeth Chapel, FMC, Umuahia, on Saturday.

Although many had reasoned that the matter about the pension arrears had been closed, given the governor’s earlier stance, his pronouncement on the issue in a speech at the service brought boundless joy to the hearts of the embattled pensioners themselves, their families and relations alike.

For the fifth columnists, particularly the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it has ended their feast on radio and other media platforms, where they laboured all-day to whip up sentiments against the ever-listening government of Gov. Alex Otti.

The criticism by the opposition in the wake of the pension impasse was simply self-ridiculing and shameless of a party that plunged the state into a deep mess turning around to champion the cause of the survivors of its callous, demonic and inhuman regime.

Good to remind us that the 45 months pension arrears that ran into tens of billions of naira were accumulated by the PDP-led government of Ikpeazu, which was flushed out by the people on May 29, 2023.

It was painful that the party exited office so shamelessly without caring a hoot about the fate of the retirees, who were then dying in their numbers everyday before their face.

It was also ironical that some of the insincere pensioners, who are now enjoying a new lease of life with the regular payment of their pensions, after collecting bulk payments from Gov. Otti’s N10 billion pension arrears, went hand-in-glove with their erstwhile tormentors, to sponsor propaganda against an administration that lifted them out of their hopelessness and rehabilitated them, giving them the hope for a better tomorrow.

It was this singular show of ingratitude by the leadership of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) that Abians of good conscience, including the governor, have considered the worst betrayal.

The governor showed much of his disappointment and anger with the NUP leadership over the ill-conceived and sinister marriage between the NUP leadership and the opposition PDP, along with its mercenaries in the media that embarked on a malicious propaganda to pitch the few disgruntled pensioners and their sympathisers against the government.

But, in spite of the obvious betrayal, he still demonstrated a explicit candour and magnanimity that are rare and unusual with the predominantly insensitive and uncaring PDP administrations.

So, speaking from his deep feelings and sympathy for the poor pensioners, who were dehumanised and pauperised by the Pharoahs of the past, the governor assured them that his administration remained committed to addressing their concerns.

For him, the leadership of pensioners in the state “contributed to the crisis surrounding the pension arrears payments” made by his administration.

The Chaplain of the FMC Chapel, Rev. Ernest Onyeukwu, had earlier in his homily at the birthday service commended the governor for his developmental strides, particularly in ensuring the timely payment of salaries and pensions.

Onyeukwu, however, appealed to him to reconsider his stance on the lingering issues surrounding the pension arrears, urging him ” to allow mercy to prevail over judgment” and give the pensioners another chance.

Responding to the appeal from the pulpit, the governor said: “Thank you for calling our attention to the issue of pensions that had become problematic.

“I want to thank you for being honest. I have maintained that our senior citizens and pensioners are very honest people.

“The problem is with their leadership,” adding that he was disappointed with the lack of sincerity among the NUP leaders.

He accused them of reneging on an agreement with his administration, saying: “When they were going into an agreement with me, they probably didn’t believe that payment would be made.

“When I made the payment, they went around denying that they signed the agreement and that angered me, but because you have raised it, I will have a second look at it.”

Gov. Otti further warned pensioners to be mindful of those representing them, questioning why individuals who failed to pay them for over a decade should still have a voice in their affairs.

He said: “Somebody owed you for over ten years and didn’t pay you.

“Then someone else comes, brings ₦10 billion, and pays you, yet the person who owed you is still speaking for you, then something is wrong.”

Interestingly, the import of the governor’s promise to revisit the issue is that Abia is lucky to have a leader, not a ruler, and a governor with the milk of human kindness flowing in him.

The gesture is, without mincing words, a demonstration of executive magnanimity that further portrays the governor as amiably humble and God-fearing. One with a clarity of purpose and a leader that is not only sensitive to the concerns of his people but courageous and willing at all times to take a decision that meets the yearnings and aspirations of the generality of the people he is leading, even at the risk of his personal convictions.

The foregoing attributes remain the hallmark of a pragmatic, people-oriented leader, aligning with the philosophy of the Japanese Chan Master Fuchan Yuan, a 20th-century master of Chan Buddhism, who propagated the thought that “There are three essentials to leadership: humility, clarity and courage”.

– Eagle Okoro is a Public Affairs analyst and writes from Umuahia

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