KILLING CITIZENS SLOWLY: 10 States owe pensioners 203 months after collecting N153bn bail out fund

A recent report published by Budgit, a social advocacy platform primarily engaged in simplifying the budget and matters of public spending for citizens, has blown the lid on how some State governments in Nigeria may be slowing killing their citizens through systematic denial of pension benefits.

Titled, ‘State of States Salaries Survey,’ the publication details, amongst others, the number of months each State in the country is owing its pensioners. Of the 36 States that make up the Nigerian federation, 10 States are observed to have notoriously owed their retirees 203 months in outstanding pension arrears by mid May, 2017.

They are Abia (19), Bayelsa (13), Benue (12), Ekiti (11 ), Imo (24), Kogi (17), Niger (36), Rivers (28), Taraba (36), and Nasarawa (7).

Particularly appalling is another report which also reveals that the listed States may not have diligently applied the refunds made by the Federal Government from Paris Club debts. The 10 States under review are said to have received the sum of N153.42 billion with an understanding that 50% of the said income would be deployed for salaries and other liabilities.

The breakdown of Paris Club refunds for the 10 States are as follows: Abia (N11.43bn), Bayelsa (N24.89bn), Benue (13.71bn), Ekiti (9.55bn), Imo ((14bn), kogi (12.06bn) Niger (14.42bn), Rivers (34.93bn), Taraba (9.33bn), and Nasarawa (9.10bn)