Monday, February 3, 2025 - Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, has said that it is an act of wickedness to withhold the pensions and gratuities of senior citizens during their vulnerable years.
Obi lamented that greed and an insatiable desperation for material
acquisition among political leaders have made life a living hell for others by
denying them the fruits of their labor.
The former Anambra State Governor stated this after what he described as
“a chilling encounter with an elderly woman” during his official visit to the
Shanahan College of Nursing Sciences, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Obi said the encounter left him seriously worried about the depth of
insensitivity that characterizes the nation’s political and institutional
leadership in Nigeria.
In a post on his X handle, Obi narrated how the woman lamented that her
pension had not been paid despite devoting the productive years of her life to
working for the nation.
“My chilling encounter with an elderly woman yesterday has left me
seriously worried about the depth of insensitivity that characterizes our
political and institutional leadership in Nigeria.
“While interacting with the management and students of Shanahan College
of Nursing Sciences, Nsukka, during my official visit to the institution, I
noticed this elderly woman struggling desperately to talk to me.
“People around tried to push her away and silence her, but I instantly
requested to have a word with her and hear her story.
“She introduced herself as a retired civil servant who devoted the
productive years of her life to working for the nation.
“She lamented that for a while, her pension had not been paid. What was
more heartbreaking was that she had been sick and admitted to the hospital for
over a week, with mounting medical bills, but her immediate worry was that she
did not even have one Naira to buy food.
“I felt a surge of anger and pity. Anger at leaders like me, who, out of
greed and an insatiable desperation for material acquisition, have made life a
living hell for others by denying them the fruits of their labor. And then pity
for the poor elderly woman, and many others like her, whose painful stories may
never be heard.
“That is the nation we live in—a nation that has lost its sense of
humanity and compassion.
“I have said it before, and I still maintain, that any government that
withholds the pensions and gratuities of our senior citizens in their
vulnerable years is wicked. As a Governor, I inherited and paid off over N30
billion in pensions and gratuities accumulated over the years because I
understood the pain the elderly citizens were going through.
“I instantly gave her my little support and promised to follow up her
case with the hospital management.
“However, I am more concerned about the
many others like her, dying in silence in many parts of the nation, because no
one can speak for them. We must fix this nation. Nigeria must work for all, and
everyone must get their due rewards for their productive contributions.
“A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO”
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