The Ebonyi State Government has clarified that the reported ₦100,000 humanitarian assistance given to individual retirees of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) does not constitute payment of their outstanding pensions and gratuities, insisting that statutory retirement benefits must be handled through proper verification and established procedures.
The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebeh, stated this in a press release issued on Thursday in Abakaliki, in response to recent comments by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its 2027 governorship candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, on the plight of EBSU retirees.
Key Highlights
- Ebonyi Government says the reported ₦100,000 assistance to EBSU retirees is humanitarian aid, not pension or gratuity.
- PDP governorship candidate Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii reportedly provided financial assistance to affected retirees.
- The government says outstanding retirement benefits must be verified individually.
- Ebonyi Government says it is working with EBSU management and relevant unions to improve pension administration.
- The state maintains that legitimate claims by university retirees should be addressed through established procedures.
Ebonyi Government Clarifies ₦100,000 Assistance to EBSU Retirees
Omebeh said the government welcomed genuine humanitarian interventions aimed at reducing the hardship faced by elderly citizens but cautioned against presenting personal donations as payment of statutory retirement entitlements.
“A donation of ₦100,000 to an individual retiree is humanitarian assistance. It is not the payment of that retiree’s pension or gratuity. The two are fundamentally different matters,” he said.
The commissioner explained that pension and gratuity claims require verification of service records, determination of legitimate entitlements, identification of the institution or authority responsible for payment, and compliance with relevant financial and legal procedures.
He described it as misleading to suggest that the reported assistance amounted to a settlement of the retirees’ outstanding benefits.
Odii’s Financial Assistance Sparks Debate Over EBSU Retirees’ Benefits
The government’s statement followed reports that some EBSU retirees had complained about outstanding pensions and gratuities, prompting Odii to provide financial assistance to affected beneficiaries.
Reports on the intervention put the total assistance at about ₦7 million, although accounts have differed over the number of beneficiaries and the total amount involved.
Omebeh said the government was prepared to examine properly documented claims by the affected retirees, stressing that their welfare should not become a subject of political contestation.
“The retirees concerned are elderly men and women who served the institution and deserve to have legitimate claims treated with dignity and urgency,” he said.
Government Calls for Verification of Outstanding Pension Claims
The commissioner said the appropriate response was for the relevant authorities, EBSU management, retirees’ representatives and government agencies to establish the facts surrounding individual claims and determine how they should be resolved.
He urged the PDP and other stakeholders with additional information to submit details of the affected retirees, the amounts allegedly owed and the legal or institutional basis of the claims to the appropriate authorities.
“If Dr Odii and the PDP have additional information establishing the precise number of affected retirees, the individual amounts owed, the basis of each claim and the institution legally responsible for settlement, such information should be made available to the appropriate authorities,” Omebeh said.
He maintained that the state government would not oppose individuals who chose to assist retirees with their personal resources but insisted that humanitarian relief should remain distinct from statutory retirement obligations.
Ebonyi Government Cites Pension and Gratuity Arrears Payments
Omebeh also cited the state government’s broader interventions in pension and gratuity payments, saying the administration had approved the payment of arrears to state and local government retirees through a structured verification process.
According to the commissioner, official state records show that pension and gratuity arrears covering local government retirees from 1996 to 2025 had been approved for payment, subject to the presentation and verification of relevant service and pension documents.
However, he acknowledged that these interventions did not automatically establish that the outstanding claims of every EBSU retiree had been settled.
“That is precisely why the specific EBSU claims should be properly verified and addressed on their merits,” he said.
Read also:
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EBSU Management, ASUU and NASU Working on Pension Administration
The commissioner disclosed that the state government was working with EBSU management and relevant unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), to streamline pension administration at the university.
He said the collaboration was also aimed at facilitating the smooth take-off of the university’s pension scheme.
Omebeh maintained that the process would help clarify outstanding obligations and establish appropriate mechanisms for addressing verified claims.
Nwifuru Administration Reaffirms Commitment to Retirees’ Welfare
The commissioner reaffirmed the state government’s position that Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru remained committed to workers’ welfare and the resolution of legitimate retirement-benefit claims.
He said the government would continue to engage EBSU management, retirees and other stakeholders to address outstanding issues through established institutional and verification processes.
“There is no need to politicise the pain of our senior citizens,” Omebeh said, reiterating the government’s willingness to work with relevant parties towards resolving verified claims.
The dispute over EBSU retirees’ benefits remains centred on determining the outstanding obligations, identifying the authorities responsible for settling them and establishing a clear process for payment.
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