THE PLIGHT OF NIGERIAN PENSIONERS

It is always a thing of  joy for one to serve his or her fatherland. But it becomes very painful  when pensioners are neglected and made through some dehumanised
Two old retired people kicked the bucket and three others drooped amid a check requested by the Bayelsa State Government.

It was learnt that the occurrence happened on Monday and Tuesday at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex at Ovom range of Yenagoa, the state capital.

Of the three beneficiaries that caved in, two were said to have survived while one is said to be in a trance like state at a private clinic in the state capital.

The storm apparently added to the hardship of the retired people amid the activity.

The activity which began on Monday was started by the state government to get the genuine figure of the retired people.

In any case, the retirees whined that the activity had numerous hiccups and asked the administration to locate an enduring answer for their predicament.

Sources said the anonymous two dead retired people were at first taken to the Federal Medical Center, Yenagoa, but becof the progressing strike there, their remaining parts were taken to an undisclosed mortuary at a private healing facility in the state.

The Chairman, Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Bayelsa Action Group section, Chief Bodi Amaran, affirmed the episode on Tuesday.

Amaran said four retired people drooped on Monday, out of which, two kicked the bucket while the other two survived, including that Tuesday, another beneficiary given way and backslid into a trance like state.

He bemoaned the predicament of beneficiaries in the state, saying that they (retired people) were being dealt with as evacuees.

Amaran, who said the retired people were owed nine months, noticed that a considerable lot of them were eager while others had been on medications however were not able purchase their drugs for absence of cash.

Revealing insight into the occurrence, he said, "Four retired people broken down on Monday. Of the number, two kicked the bucket and the other two were restored. On Tuesday, one elderly retired person drooped. He is in a state of extreme lethargy as I talk.

"The Monday occurrence happened toward the evening while that of Tuesday happened when the downpour was falling. The quantity of retired people was numerous. For nine months, we have not been paid.

"The states of most retired people are pitiable.  We are being dealt with as evacuees. The most recent month we got paid was in September 2015."

At the point when solicited to give the names from the expired pensioners,  Amaran said they had yet to affirm their names and their nearby governments,  promising to outfit our journalist with the names later.

Another beneficiary, Mr. Daniel Ogobugha, said he was not content with the strategy received for the check, including that the administration ought to have joined the installment of the unfulfilled obligations with the activity.

He said, "Yes, we have been here since morning, a hefty portion of our kin have swooned, some basic ones have been raced to the healing facility; the administration is aiding, however this activity is extremely unpleasant to us.

"A large portion of us are matured, some can no more walk however take a gander at us here for confirmation; well, in the event that it is the best approach to angle out fake beneficiaries, it is alright yet I should let you know this is bad because of the strength of a few of us.

"A few of us are being owed for more than six months, we can't pay our youngsters school expenses, with the current cruel economy, nourishing has been a tremendous test to a few families."

Another retiree, Mr Richard Epiri, encouraged the state government to facilitate activity in paying the build-up of their benefits.

The Chairperson, Bayelsa Pensions Board,  Mrs. Jane Aleke, said the beneficiaries given way in view of fatigue however did not demonstrate if any passing happened.

She affirmed that the influenced persons were hurried to the Government House Clinic.

Aleke said that the activity was not went for focusing on the retirees but rather to empower the administration get the genuine figure of beneficiaries.

She spoke to the retirees to be quiet and guaranteed that each beneficiary in the state would be caught in the activity.

"This is about administration of riches and you know in paying them, the state government can't simply start to pay with a theory number, thus, we can't do mystery.

"We are prepared to achieve all the nearby governments in the state, we have begun with Yenagoa; for those of them, who are wiped out and can't walk, we will go to their homes."