From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
After fruitless efforts to get the attention of the governor to attend to their plights, retirees in Taraba State, yesterday, commenced seven days fasting and prayers as last resort.
Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Taraba State, Silas Jephthah, said since the governor has shown insensitivity to the plight of the people, they have decided to turn to God to ensure he does not occupy any leadership position again, beginning with losing his senatorial ambition.
Jephthah said they were appealing to God to stop the governor from continuing his poor leadership style in the Senate after his wasted eight years as governor.
He said Governor Darius Ishaku has subjected retirees in the state to inhuman treatment with a lot of retirees dying years after retirement without benefitting a kobo from their pension and gratuity.
He regretted that years after retirement, people were not even enrolled into the pension scheme and those enrolled are owed for months on end while gratuity is now considered such a luxury beyond the retirees.
Students of the state-owned university last week staged a protest against non-payment of staff of the uUniversity that led to interruption of their examinations, leading to serious security situation in Jalingo, the state capital.
Another alleged planned protest by civil society organisations in the state was also called off at the weekend following orders by the state governor for security agencies to crush any such move.