Angry pensioners have in the last one hour blocked the Murtala Mohammed highway in Calabar as scores of them are presently sitting on plastic chairs, covering the two laned-road, leading into and out of the city.
An on the spot assessment carried out by www.calitown.com further revealed that the pensioners are frustrated at consistent failures by the state government to carefully ensure that the outcome of several pension verification exercises do not short change some pensioners. “I have come from Obubra to Calabar several times to take part in one verification exercise or the other, the latest not long ago and what was the outcome? They published a list that showed I was deceased, when I am not. Is this a serious and fair outcome? The matter is made even worse by staff of the Auditor-General for Local Government Office, who are thieves, corrupt, heartless and very disrespectful of us pensioners. I think that if the whole idea of these verification exercises is to create avenues through which they can steal money, they have all hit the wrong chord now… ” one pensioner told us.
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A mild drama played out when a dark skinned man in black suit, hurriedly identified to us as the Director of Admin in the office, attempted to address the crowd. He was booed at and repeatedly told to go away as the crowd approached him menacingly. Sensing danger, the said government official took to his heels as he was accordingly chased. He had to run into the nearby SUBEB office, with the crowd in tow. Immediately, the crowd of pensioners chorused in unison, “Grace Inok must go”, chanting loudly as they returned to sitting on the highway.