by Abel Leonardo, lafia

Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Nasarawa State PDP Democratic People’s Party Leadership alleged that it received a report that some government officials are collecting the voter’s ID number that is on the permanent PVC voter card of retirees on a form designed by the government agent in the state as a condition for the payment of their pension and gratuities.

This was contained in a statement signed by the PDP’s public relations officer in Nasarawa state, Mohammad Ibrahim Hamza, sent to the journalist on Monday.

The statement reads: It is a sad and unfortunate development, as this group of people sacrificed their productive years to effectively serve their homeland, they now needed the love, protection, respect and care of the government only to be treated in this manner. This is most inhumane and unconstitutional.

“It is pertinent to point out that the payment of pensions and bonuses to retired workers is not a privilege but a right to their right. So for some government officials to start initiating partisan pay policies is most discouraging.”

“To this end, the Nasarawa State PDP wants to use this medium to condemn the act in its entirety and urge INEC and all relevant security agencies to pursue the perpetrators and their sponsors, arrest and prosecute them. to serve as a deterrent to others. while those of the pensioner are advice to resist this ugly temptation.”

“This is a clear manifestation and the handiwork of the enemies of democracy and Nigeria in their attempt to thwart, manipulate and disrupt the electoral process and manipulate their way to power through dubious means.”

Meanwhile, speaking to the Daily Sun via telephone conversation, the state publicity secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Douglas Ataru, had refuted such accusations, stressing that the statement was issued out of imagination.

He said that it is very impious “to have accused an administration that has shown transparency in all sectors by pointing out that the PDP does not have the capacity to resist the presence of APC in the state, that is why they have fallen into an impious imagination.

“You know that it is not true, that is not possible, the government of Governor Abdullahi Sule is transparent, it is not necessary to get involved in such an imaginative story to win the elections because his works speak for him. he said.