“Have Mercy on Us”: Abia Pensioners Beg Otti to Pay Unpaid Gratuities

UMUAHIA — Retired civil servants in Abia State have renewed their appeal to Governor Alex Otti to commence the payment of outstanding gratuities and other retirement entitlements, urging the state government to show compassion to elderly citizens who served the state for decades.

The latest appeal has brought renewed attention to the long-running issue of unpaid retirement benefits in the state, with pensioners and retired senior civil servants saying the continued delay has subjected many retirees and their families to severe economic hardship.

The development comes barely months after Governor Otti announced that his administration had earmarked more than ₦10 billion in the 2026 budget for the payment of gratuities accumulated over a period of about 20 years.

Speaking during the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration, Otti said the modalities for phased payment had been concluded and that disbursement would commence in the weeks ahead.

However, retired Permanent Secretaries in the state have expressed concern over what they described as the continued silence surrounding the implementation of the promise.

Retired Permanent Secretaries Remind Otti of Promise

The Forum of Permanent Secretaries compulsorily retired from the Abia State Civil Service on October 31, 2023, recently appealed to the governor to approve the immediate payment of their accumulated gratuities and retirement entitlements.

In a communiqué issued after the forum’s July 2026 meeting and signed by one of its members, Agomoh Nkwachukwu, the retirees acknowledged what they described as the administration’s achievements in infrastructure and other sectors but urged the government to extend similar attention to retirees whose survival depends heavily on their pensions and gratuities.

The forum said the continued delay had become increasingly worrisome, particularly in view of the governor’s earlier commitment to begin settling gratuity obligations.

The retirees appealed to Otti to direct the Accountant General of the state to commence payment, saying their circumstances had become increasingly difficult because of the rising cost of basic necessities.

‘Have Mercy and Show Humanity’

The pensioners’ appeal is coming against the backdrop of increasing economic pressure on elderly Nigerians.

They said many retirees now struggle to meet basic household obligations, including food, medical bills, electricity and cooking gas.

They are therefore asking the governor to consider their situation not simply as a financial obligation of government but as a matter involving the welfare and dignity of people who spent decades working for the state.

The retirees have also urged the governor to consider a phased payment arrangement where necessary, provided that a clear and credible process is established for settling verified claims.

Government Had Announced ₦10bn Provision

The renewed agitation is particularly significant because the Abia State Government has already announced a financial provision for gratuity payments.

At the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration, Governor Otti said more than ₦10 billion had been earmarked in the 2026 fiscal year for gratuities accumulated over two decades.

He explained that the government had concluded the modalities for phased disbursement and would continue verification of claims alongside the payments.

The announcement initially generated expectations among retirees who had waited for years for their entitlements.

The latest appeal from the retired Permanent Secretaries suggests that many beneficiaries are still waiting for the promised process to translate into actual payments.

The Gratuity Issue Predates Otti

The controversy surrounding unpaid gratuities is not entirely a product of the current administration.

Abia pensioners have previously acknowledged that many of the liabilities were inherited from past administrations.

In December 2024, a group known as Concerned Abia Pensioners appealed to Otti to reconsider the issue of gratuity arrears, stressing that although the liabilities were not incurred by his administration, they hoped he would extend what they described as his compassionate intervention to the retirees.

The group said it would accept payment by instalments if that would make it possible for the government to clear the outstanding obligations.

The wider pension burden in Abia has also involved arrears affecting retirees of various state-owned parastatals.

Pension Arrears Also Remain a Concern

In March 2026, pensioners from five Abia parastatals appealed to the governor over 13 months of unpaid pension arrears.

The affected retirees were drawn from the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia, Abia Newspapers, the Abia State Council for Arts and Culture, the Abia State Housing and Property Development Corporation and the Umuahia Capital Development Authority.

The pensioners said their monthly pension payments had eventually resumed in January 2025 following a verification exercise, but the outstanding 13-month arrears remained unpaid.

They also disclosed that some members died during the period they were waiting for their entitlements.

The issue illustrates the broader financial burden facing retirees who depend almost entirely on their pension and gratuity payments for survival.

Retirees Seek Dialogue Rather Than Confrontation

The latest appeal has also emphasised the need for dialogue between the state government and affected retirees.

Rather than framing the matter solely as a political confrontation, the pensioners are asking the administration to establish a transparent mechanism through which beneficiaries can know when and how their verified claims will be settled.

For retirees, the issue is particularly urgent because gratuity is normally a major financial support after leaving active service.

Many use the money to settle debts, support family members, pay medical expenses, or establish small businesses to sustain themselves after retirement.

Otti Administration Faces Expectations

Governor Otti’s administration has repeatedly highlighted the payment of inherited liabilities as part of its governance agenda.

The government has also pointed to improvements in the regular payment of salaries and pensions as evidence of its efforts to restore confidence in the state’s public financial system.

The pensioners’ latest appeal, however, places emphasis on the difference between regular pension payments and accumulated gratuity obligations.

While pension payments provide recurring income, gratuity represents a major retirement entitlement that many retirees have been waiting years to receive.

The Question Now Is Implementation

With the government having announced funding for gratuity payments and the modalities for phased disbursement, attention is now shifting from promises to implementation.

Retirees want clarity on when payments will begin, who will be included in the first tranche, how claims will be verified and the timeline for clearing the outstanding liabilities.

For elderly former workers, the demand is straightforward: after decades of service, they want the government to honour their retirement entitlements.

As the calls grow louder, the Otti administration is likely to face increasing pressure to demonstrate that its announced gratuity programme is moving from policy statements to actual payments.

For the pensioners, the issue is not merely about money.

It is about dignity, recognition and the assurance that years spent serving Abia State will not end with a prolonged wait for the benefits promised to them.

The retirees are therefore asking Governor Alex Otti to listen, engage them and, as they put it, “have mercy and show humanity.”