By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development has called on the Abia State Government led by Alex Otti to clarify details of the proposed Over-60 welfare benefits and urgently settle outstanding pension and gratuity arrears owed to retirees across Abia State.

In a statement dated February 15, 2026, and signed by Executive Director Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, the group said that while social protection initiatives for senior citizens are commendable in principle, announcing new welfare commitments amid unresolved retirement liabilities raises “serious moral, legal, and fiscal concerns.”

FENRAD stressed that pensions and gratuities are “earned entitlements protected under law and grounded in constitutional principles of dignity and social justice,” warning that continued delays constitute financial hardship and a violation of retirees’ socio-economic rights.

The organization therefore urged the government to publish “a comprehensive and verifiable breakdown of outstanding pension and gratuity arrears,” release a clear and time-bound payment framework, guarantee transparent monthly pension schedules, and ensure retirees are not subjected to “coercive agreements, waiver arrangements, or opaque verification exercises that undermine their lawful entitlements.”

On the proposed Over-60 welfare framework, FENRAD requested public disclosure of the full policy design, enabling legislation, funding sources, projected annual cost, eligibility verification process, and healthcare delivery structure supporting any promised benefits. It noted that public confidence in governance is strengthened when policies are backed by “clear implementation blueprints, fiscal transparency, and measurable accountability benchmarks.”

The group further reminded the administration that campaign commitments to clear arrears and restore financial discipline form part of democratic responsibility, insisting that “before expanding new welfare commitments, it is both prudent and just that the government first fulfills its existing obligations to retirees.”

FENRAD urged urgent, fair, and transparent action, declaring that retirees “deserve dignity,” senior citizens “deserve clarity,” and the people of the state “deserve accountable governance.” It also reaffirmed readiness to engage government institutions, lawmakers, civil society organizations, and retirees’ associations to ensure public policies remain humane, sustainable, and rights-based.

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