Retired council health workers protest over non-payment of CONHESS arrears

By Cajetan Mmuta
Hundreds of aggrieved retirees under the aegis of Health Pensioners of the Anambra Local Local Government System yesterday protested against the non-payment of consequential adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Scale (CONHESS) owed them by the state government.

They blamed their woes on the refusal of the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) to effect the payments in spite of approval by Governor Willie Obiano led administration.

The protesters with placards of various inscriptions including ‘Fund Pensions Board’, ‘Cabal in Control of JAAC’, Christopher Anene is a Sadist’, ‘Akpokuedike Global SOS’, ‘Retirement is not a Crime’, ‘Pay 2015-2019 Retirees Deserve their Benefits, among others, called for the intervention of the state government to save them from sudden deaths.

Chairman of the group, Comrade Raphael Okoye told newsmen that Governor Willie Obiano had magnanimously approved an increment for health workers from 40 to 60 percent in 2015.

He explained that the consequential adjustment for the affected members was acknowledged by the office of the Head of Service, computed by the Local Government Service Commission(LGSC), and vetted by its auditor.

He noted that the JAAC office had refused to effect the payment in spite of the fact that they had fulfilled all documentary processes and several reminders to that effect.

He regretted that the good intentions of Gov. Obiano for retirees were being frustrated by the JAAC office which ‘deliberately and maliciously refused to pay them their due.

Okoye said some of their members were passing through hardship because of non-payment of their accurate pensions while others had died in the process.

“Accordingly, we request our hard-working governor to order JAAC to pay us our entitlements in full without further delay.

“We appeal to His Excellency to caution JAAC Secretary for refusing to carry out the order of duly constituted authorities.”

“We further wish that the secret be re-assign to another portfolio suitable for his age and experience since he continues to mess up the good intention of our governor.

“We also pray that the auditor in JAAC who retired in 2015 should proceed on his retirement and vacate the JAAC office immediately so that LGSC can post somebody in active service to that position.

Gov. Bala constitute Committee to address challenges of non-payment of workers salaries

”Once again, we thank Gov. Obiano for approving 60 percent for all health workers in Anambra and all Anambra people who have been with us in the course of this ordeal,” he said.

Okoye who said that more than 100 of their members were affected due to avoidable neglect, regretted that some are bedridden due to the Peanuts they take home as monthly pensions.

When contacted by Mr. Confidence Azodo, Secretary JAAC, Anambra was not successful as he was said to be on official assignment.

However, several calls made to the JAAC official through his GSM were not answered at the time of this report.