Pensioners threaten demo

Sam P. Yalley -Pensions Regulatory Boss

Pensioners who recently retired from active service from various departmental offices under the Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD) of the Central Region have vowed to stage a massive demonstration should government fail to pay their pension claims.

According to them, CAGD and Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has for the past five months not paid their respective claims to enable them to cater for their families.

“We will not tolerate what the government and SSNIT are doing to us pensioners. This shows they do not respect us. Why should we suffer for Ghana’s development and later be treated as such” they said.

“We are in an election year and we need to make our concerns known so that, they will be addressed as quickly as possible because no one knows what will happen tomorrow” they added.

This, they said have created numerous problems for them, a situation the pensioners stated have led some financial institutions they lend monies from to run after them for their monies.

Dr. Frank Odoom- SSNIT Boss

The pensioners who stormed the office of Daily Guide in Cape Coast on Wednesday said, they have filed all the necessary documents required by the SSNIT yet they have not given their salaries.

A member of the group and former staff of CAGD in Cape Coast, who spoke on condition of anonymity lamented that, on July 20, 2012 he was directed by the Cape Coast office of SSNIT to fill some documents which he did but has since that time not received his claim.

He added that, he was also asked by the office to go to the headquarters of CAGD in Accra to push the documents, which he complied but he was asked to expect his claims in three weeks to no avail.

“I have walked in and out climbing this tall building several times just to take my pension claims and have still not received it. Why! Why! Is it a crime to go on pension? Look at an old man like me always climbing this building is this fair? he quizzed.

The former CAGD officer noted that, he returned to SSNIT office in Cape Coast early Tuesday morning to check for his claim only to be told his claim has not been released.  

From: Desmond K. Dapaah, Cape Coast.