BREAKING: Kogi pensioners panic as Bello orders quick screening before leaving office

Kogi State Local Government Council pensioners are presently in panic mood over directive by Governor Yahaya Bello to carry out a timeous screening before exiting office on January 27, 2024.

The development has been condemned with some pensioners describing the planned exercise “as insensitive and uncalled for,” which they said would further inflict pain and aggravate a worsening conditions of the aged.

The planned screening of pensioner has been confirmed through a special announcement that was signed by the Director General of Kogi State Pension Commission, Mrs Maryam Abedoh.

The DG urged Pensioners under the Local Government as well as those in the State payroll to prepare to face screening from the 19th January till 25th January 2024.

“The pensioners are expected to go to the nearest bank close to them for verification”, she said.

Meanwhile, CAPITAL POST gathered in Lokoja that, some of the Pensioners at the State and Local Government Area lamented that the announcement and said “government is not sensitive to the times and mood”, lamented that the verification at this time of hardship was uncalled for.

Some wondered if the outgoing governor actually instructed the Director General to carry out screening at the twilight of his administration, adding that screening and verification have always been a way for those at the helm of affairs to stop and divert payments of some pensioners on flimsy excuses.

The Pensioners lamented at the timing of the exercise, said the initiators of the exercise are only out to punish the aged people who have served their State meritoriously and need to be resting.

The Pensioners lamented a situation where in most Local Government Areas there are no banks in operation, called on Gov. Yahaya Bello to as his parting gift take another look at the planned exercise as it would further inflict pain on pensioners.

The Pensioners lamented the bad state of the roads that would warrant them travelling for the verification, expressed worries that with the paltry sum paid as pension to majority pensioners, it will be foolhardy to pay huge transport cost for the verification.