Local Government pensioners in Cross River State have threatened to embark on a statewide protest over alleged unpaid pensions, gratuities and other entitlements owed them by the state government.
The body said the planned protest became necessary due to what he described as the persistent neglect and hardship faced by retired local government workers in the state.
The threat was issued on Friday during a press conference in Calabar by the State Chairman of the Association of Cross River State Local Government Pensioners, Bassey Okosin.
According to him, delays in pension payments and outstanding arrears have subjected many retirees to severe hardship, psychological trauma and avoidable deaths.
“The main purpose of this press conference is to highlight the callous treatment of local government pensioners. This has resulted in unnecessary delays, unpaid backlog of entitlements, severe psychological trauma and avoidable deaths among our retirees,” Okosin said.
He disclosed that the association had earlier notified the state government of its intention to stage a protest through a letter dated February 13, 2026, but said no response had been received.
Okosin added that a reminder letter was subsequently sent on March 2, 2026, warning that the protest would proceed if the government fails to address their concerns.
The pensioners demanded that monthly pensions be paid on or before the end of every month and called for their inclusion in government palliative programmes such as Christmas and Easter bonuses.
They also urged the Cross River State House of Assembly to pass a bill establishing a functional Local Government Pension Board to properly manage pension matters in the state.
Other demands include the harmonisation of pensions for local government retirees, payment of outstanding pension arrears dating back to 2016, implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure for retired nurses and health workers who served in local government councils, and payment of gratuities to pensioners verified in 2024 but yet to receive their benefits.
The association further demanded the release of a second tranche of gratuities for retirees from 2016 to date.
Okosin also rejected a proposed plan to transfer the payment of local government pensions to the office of the State Accountant-General, insisting that the responsibility should remain with a properly constituted Local Government Pension Board.
He attributed the delay in pension payments to what he described as a cumbersome bureaucratic process involved in the movement of pension vouchers.
According to him, vouchers prepared by the Local Government Pension Board are required to pass through several government offices for verification and approval before payment is made.
He explained that the vouchers move from the pension board to the Auditor-General for Local Government for verification, then to the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, before being forwarded to the Governor through the Accountant-General for approval and eventually returned to the councils for payment.
Okosin said the process contributes significantly to delays in the payment of pensions and urged the government to streamline the system.
He also expressed concern over the staffing of agencies responsible for managing local government pensions, alleging that many of the personnel are drawn from the state civil service rather than the unified local government service.
According to him, this undermines accountability and weakens commitment to the welfare of local government retirees.
The pensioners’ leader further noted that although the Local Government Pension Board was established under a 1994 edict, its provisions had not been fully implemented.
Efforts to obtain comments from the state Head of Service, Bassey Okon, and the Accountant-General, Dr Glory Effiong, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
