Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, (BSHA) Mr. Titus Uba, was booed, on Monday, by protesting Concerned Pensioners when he came to Government House gate to address on the sixth day of their protest.
The Speaker, who expressed his sympathy with the pensioners had promised them that the Assembly will support their course 100 percent.
He said, “we are not here to negotiate. We are here, the entire house leadership, to sympathize with you. We are here because our parents are sitting under the sun, under the rain and asking for their gratuity and pension when it is their rightful entitlements.”
The Speaker stated that “We cannot support any evil against our parents, brothers and sisters. We would continue to be on your side because if we don’t do that now, by the time we are on the other side, we will suffer the same thing.”
Mr. Uba promised he will go back and meet with appropriate authorities and also push for their demands to enable them go back home saying, “we will give our 101 support on this issue.”
The Speaker however, angered the pensioners when he told them that Gov. Samuel Ortom was on top of their matter and would not do them any evil.
He also said that the Governor during a meeting with the legislatures, told them that the pensioners agreed to vacate government house arena if paid two months arrears.
But the pensioners booed the Speaker saying “it is a big lie.”
Responding, the Chairman, Concerned Benue Pensioners, Mr. Peter Ikyado noted that the two months, April and May which the Governor promised to pay this week were for 2018.
He stated that they wrote several letters to the state government and other stakeholders in the state before embarking on the protest but all fell on deaf ears.
“We are demanding to be paid at least six months. We cannot pay our children’s school fees. We cannot afford good food. Three days ago, three of our members, David Atsanan, (Ushongo) Joel Ijir (Oju) and Kiishi Dom (Gboko) died while one Yaaakur sustained compound fracture.
“We are dying. Your fathers are dying and you do not care about us. We want to die here in Government House. We are now Internally displaced pensioners”, Ikyado said.
