A group, Igala Vanguard, has cried out over alleged ongoing disparity in payments of pensions and gratuities to retired civil servants in Kogi state, especially between beneficiaries from Central and Eastern senatorial districts of the state.
In a statement signed by Engr Lawrence Akpa, the group said the disparity was uncovered after its thorough investigation.
Akpa alleged that retirees from Ebira land, in Kogi Central senatorial district, gets preferential treatment when it comes to payment of gratuities, adding that Igalas are largely sidelined.
“Our investigations revealed that payment of gratuity for Kogi Easterners, regardless of their rank, stands at N100,000, while their counterparts from Kogi Central gets a lump sum of between N1Million to N5Million as directed by the state government.
“This is also applicable to payments of pension to beneficiaries. People from Kogi Central, the governor’s kinsmen, usually get maximum attention and huge payments as compared to the people from Kogi East.
“This development is saddening and has being in practice in the last six years in Kogi state,” he said.
Akpa called on the state government to see all retirees as one, regardless of their ethnic inclinations.
