But for providence and the vigilance of other pensioners as well as other sympathisers, 94-year-old elder, Johnson Ukezie, would have died during the recent protest by pensioners in Imo State.
The pensioners had stormed the frontage of the Government House in Owerri to demand the payment of the 22 months pension arrears and gratuities being owed them by the administration of Governor Rochas Okorocha, when the incident occurred.
The aged men and women had come in their hundreds, appealing to the governor to save them from hunger and untimely death by intervening and ensuring the settlement of their pension arrears and gratuities.
I have suffered so much in life and do not know what to do any more since this payment (pension) stopped. I have nobody to take care of me and my old wife, no food to eat, no money to take care of our health condition
Few minutes into the action, Pa Ukezie suddenly stumbled, collapsed and passed out. The incident created panic and fear amongst the other pensioners, with some of them rushing to give him first aid in a bid to revive him.
Many of the pensioners used whatever item they were holding to fan Pa Ukezie as the nonagenarian sprawled on the ground in front of the Imo Government House. While many of the pensioners and other sympathisers poured water on the old man, some others conjured from nowhere various energy drinks, including Lucozade boost, forced open his mouth and poured it down his throat.
As this physical first aid measures were going on, a group of the pensioners quickly constituted themselves into prayer warriors, shouting the name of Jesus on top of their voice in a bid to revive the nonagenarian.
After some few more minutes, Pa Ukezie came to life, sending many of the pensioners and sympathisers into a frenzy. They all became excited again and resumed their protest.
Speaking on the incident in which he almost lost his live, Elder Ukezie, who is a retired civil servant and an indigene of Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state, explained that although he had been ill for years, he was constrained to join the other pensioners in the protest to compel the state government to pay them what they were being owed.
The nonagenarian said that he had been suffering for years as his children had left him in the village to seek greener pastures in cities across the country. He stated that he had since been saddled with the responsibility of catering for his 85-year-old wife, with the paltry sum he had been receiving as his pension.
Pa Ukezie, however, said that he had to augment his pension with the money made from the petty trading engaged in by his granddaughter, a primary school pupil. He said that he decided to join the other pensioners in the protest inspite of his advanced age with the hope that the state government would be merciful because of people like him and settle the arrears being owed them.
The old man, therefore, appealed to the state government to settle the 22 months pension arrears owed him and his colleagues to enable them to take care of their poor health condition and also feed their families.
Pa Ukezie said, “I have suffered so much in life and do not know what to do any more since this payment (pension) stopped. I have nobody to take care of me and my old wife, no food to eat, no money to take care for our health condition.
We are barely surviving by the grace of God and the help of our young primary school grand- daughter, whose parents live in Aba but have left her behind to do petty business to take care of our feeding.
“All our members (pensioners) are dying every day. About 15 of them died last year because their upkeep could no longer be guaranteed. We voted out Ohakim, who was owing us only two months in 2011 and voted in Okorocha, who is now starving us to death. What does he really wants us to do at this old age?”
The Chairman of the pensioners’ union, Chief Gideon Ezeji, said that the protest was to compel the state government, which he accused of deliberately punishing them, to have a rethink and pay them the 100 percent accrued pension arrears and gratuities owed them in the past 22 months.
Ezeji vowed that the pensioners would not accept 40 or 60 per cent being offered them by the state government.
He said he was sad over the incident in which the 94-year-old man fainted and almost died, urging the pensioners to continue with the protest until state government complied with their demand.
The pensioners’ protest led to a traffic gridlock on roads across the state capital and the closure of many shops in the metropolis.
