Imo House of Assembly Urged to Investigate Crisis Over Unpaid Teachers’ Gratuities

Retired primary school teachers in Imo State have appealed to Imo State House of Assembly lawmakers to investigate their unpaid gratuities and pensions dating from 2010 to 2020.

The urgent Save Our Soul (SOS) appeal was directed to the Imo State House of Assembly, particularly the House Committee on Labour, Civil Service, Pension and Productivity, to investigate the prolonged non-payment of gratuities and pension benefits owed to retired senior citizens across the state.

The appeal specifically calls on the member representing Isu State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Hon. Barr. Kingsley Emeka Ozurumba , to urgently intervene and advise the executive arm of government to approve the payment of outstanding gratuities owed to the retired teachers from the 2010 to 2020 batches.

Affected retirees stressed that thousands of them who completed their years of service have remained unpaid despite repeated visits to relevant government offices and several appeals for assistance noting that many of the affected retirees have reportedly spent years pursuing their entitlements without success.

The affected teachers, spread across the 27 local government areas of Imo State, are mostly elderly men and women who dedicated decades of service to the education sector and contributed immensely to the training of several generations of Imo citizens.

Some residents and retired education workers described the situation as a humanitarian issue that requires urgent government intervention.

According to the retirees, they now struggle with age-related illnesses, economic hardship and inability to meet basic medical and family needs.

They also lamented that numerous exercises conducted by the Ministry of Education, including documentation, verification, accreditation and capturing exercises, have repeatedly subjected them to stress and hardship without corresponding payment of their gratuities.

In the foregoing, many of the retired teachers are reportedly weak, sick and physically challenged, making repeated visits to government offices increasingly difficult as stakeholders argue that such senior citizens should not be subjected to unnecessary bureaucratic procedures after years of meritorious service to the state.

The retirees however appealed to Governor Hope Uzodinma to treat the matter as a priority and approve the payment of the outstanding gratuities, while calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support efforts aimed at improving the welfare of retired teachers in Imo State.

Aggrieved Imolites also expressed concern that government should not wait for aged pensioners to embark on statewide protests before addressing their demands, considering their health conditions and economic realities.

The appeal further urges the Imo State Ministry of Education, the State Universal Basic Education Board, pension authorities and other relevant agencies to work together in resolving the lingering gratuity crisis.

Education stakeholders insist that prompt payment of gratuities is not only a legal obligation but also a moral responsibility owed to those who devoted their productive years to educating future generations.

As public concern continues to grow, many residents are now looking up to the Imo State House of Assembly and its Committees on Education, Labour, Civil Service, Pension and Productivity, to investigate the matter and facilitate immediate government action to bring relief to the affected retirees.

“They taught Imo children. Now they beg for their gratuities. Imo House of Assembly is urged to act before more retired teachers suffer and die in silence.”

“We have suffered a lot. It pains me that thousands of retired primary school teachers in Imo are still awaiting gratuities years after retirement. We are now calling on Hon. Kingsley Ozurumba and the House committee on pension matters to investigate the lingering crisis and pay the accrued backlog”

Efforts to obtain official comments from the Ministry of Education and relevant pension authorities were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.