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Group says Emmanuel has paid over N20bn to retirees, warns political jobbers against blackmail

 

Tony Anichebe, Uyo

 

 

A group of professionals, under the aegis of Uyo Senatorial District Media Practitioners Forum, has expressed dismay over an alleged smear campaign by a group known as “Next of Kin” of retired primary school teachers describing them as smear campaigners, purveyors of deception and enemies of Akwa Ibom State.

The group, in a press statement endorsed by its Chairman Elder Ofonime Isong and made available to journalists in Uyo, the state capital, on Wednesday stated: “The Forum wishes to state categorically that in Akwa Ibom State, workers and pensioners get their monies every month, even before the allocation from the federation account gets to the state.

“This can buttressed by available records which show that since assumption of office, Governor Udom Emmanuel has released and paid over N20 billion as gratuity to retirees. Though there are some persons who haven’t receive theirs yet, a greater percentage from records, have been duly paid.”

According to the Group: “What is more disturbing about this imaginary group is that they have elected to sacrifice the collective interest of the state on alter of destructive politics and selfish interest. Thus, it is more endangering to the state when actions capable of causing disunity come from people who are the beneficiaries of the magnanimous gestures of government.”

They posited that it is impossible for a governor who places high premium on retirees since assumption of office in 2015 to suddenly become their enemy.

“This line of thought questions the authenticity of the protest, because ‘authentic retirees’ have adequate information on the state of pensions in the state.”

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