After serving the nation for nearly three decades, a frail nonagenarian is stripped of his pension over a disputed error, leaving him blind, sick, and abandoned.”
A 90-year-old retiree, Mr. John Aya, from Mbo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, is crying out for justice after his pension was abruptly stopped in 2023.
Mr. Aya began his career in 1962, serving diligently with the Cross River Agricultural Development before being transferred to the Cross River Basin Authority in 1982. He retired honorably in 1989 after decades of service, and for years received his pension without issue.
Shockingly, in 2023, authorities informed him that his official records reflected “just seven years” of service—an error that effectively stripped him of his pension entitlements.
Now blind, frail, and struggling with poor health, the nonagenarian says he can no longer afford his medications. His plight paints a tragic picture of neglect—an elder who once served his country now abandoned at his most vulnerable stage of life.
Mary Efombru, who visited the ailing pensioner, described his condition as heartbreaking and urged relevant authorities to intervene immediately.
“This is not how a nation should treat its elders,” lamented Chief Edet Isong, who pledged to help amplify Mr. Aya’s case until justice is served. He confirmed that supporting documents and videos validating Mr. Aya’s long service will soon be released to the public.
Mr. Aya is appealing to the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and the Cross River Basin Authority to urgently review his case.
“Pension is not charity. Pension is a right,” Chief Isong stressed, calling on government authorities, civil society, and the general public to ensure justice is delivered without further delay.
He warned that justice delayed is justice denied.
