Abia pensioners hit Umuahia streets to celebrate PDP’s guber election defeat

Pensioners under the aegis of Concerned Abia State Pensioners have staged a city-wide jubilation in Umuahia, the state capital, to celebrate the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the governorship election.

They described the failure of PDP during the governorship and National Assembly elections in the state as God’s special way of rewarding the umbrella party for allegedly subjecting pensioners in Abia to sorrow.

The retirees, dressed in all-white apparel during their celebration march in the streets of Umuahia, said the victory of Dr Alex Otti on March 18 was an answered prayer from God.

Carrying placards inscribed with some articles, the retirees alleged that the outgoing government of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu treated them like slaves by owing more than 30 months of pensions.

This is even as they accused the PDP-led governments of refusing to pay them gratuities for more than 20 years, adding that many retirees have either died of hunger, sickness, distress or have been forced to relocate to villages by the landlords they owed.

Apart from these, the pensioners alleged that the few months of pensions they received came in halves even when the state government announced to the world on the radio that they were paid in full.

They labelled former and present commissioners for finance in the state from 2015 to date as total failures.

Some of the pensioners, Chief Benson Uwaka, Mrs Obiageri Ahuoma, and Elder James Igbokwe, said their prayers were answered by God through the victory of the Labour Party.

Clanging bells and dancing, the retirees moved from Bende road to NUJ press centre/Abia tower junction and Isi gate junction before heading to Okpara square, all in a celebration mood.

They sang Taa bu ubochi onu Hallelujah(Today is a day of joy Hallelujah), PDP laa nke oma Labour Party nnoo (PDP goodbye, Labour Party welcome).

The pensioners thanked Governor-elect Dr Alex Otti for promising to clear their unpaid pensions, praying to God to bless and protect the former banker.

“Before now, we used to protest and cry on the streets of Umuahia wearing black dress but today, you people can see that we are in white to confirm that we are happy that this administration that treated us like slaves is going away,” Elder Igbokwe told the media.