The Ebonyi State Government has cautioned political actors against weaponising the financial plight of senior citizens for partisan gains, following a controversial ₦7 million donation made to retired staff of the Ebonyi State University (EBSU) by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its 2027 governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.
In an official press rejoinder issued on Thursday, October 1, 2026, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Chief Ikeuwa Omebeh, drew a sharp line between humanitarian charity and statutory government responsibility, urging the opposition to halt "political theatre" over the hardships of retirees.
The state's response provides a comprehensive breakdown of the administration's position, the ongoing verified pension reforms, and a challenge to the opposition.
While the Ebonyi State Government welcomed the ₦7 million intervention on purely humanitarian grounds, acknowledging that any immediate financial relief for elderly citizens is commendable—it firmly rejected narratives suggesting the donation resolves the retirees' statutory claims.
The Commissioner clarified that the gesture, which breaks down to roughly ₦100,000 per individual for 216 retirees, is strictly charity.
"A donation of ₦100,000 to an individual retiree is humanitarian assistance; it is not the payment of that retiree's pension or gratuity," Omebeh stated. "The two are fundamentally different matters."
The government emphasized that legal retirement benefits cannot be settled via ad-hoc handouts, as they require strict compliance with financial procedures, proper verification of service records, and a formal determination of legitimate entitlements.
Defending its governance record, the Ministry of Information noted that Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s administration remains exceptionally worker-friendly and has systematically tackled historical pension liabilities.
The government highlighted its broader achievements in civil servant welfare:
The state has approved and implemented structured verification and payments covering both State and Local Government retirement arrears spanning from 1996 to date.
According to the commissioner, in January 2026, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation documented and verified the Ebonyi State Government's successful clearance of pension and gratuity arrears dating back to the state's creation.
The Ministry acknowledged that while these grand interventions are documented, they do not automatically mean every single individual claim at EBSU has been seamlessly resolved—which is exactly why a factual, case-by-case verification is necessary instead of public outcries.
To ensure a permanent fix to the university's pension friction, the State Government confirmed it is actively collaborating with EBSU Management and key affiliate unions—including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).
This verifiable partnership aims to align the institution with best practices in Nigerian pension administration and guarantee a seamless, sustainable take-off of the university's formal Pension Scheme.
The government stated that if the opposition possesses concrete, verifiable data regarding the retirees' claims, they should channel it through official institutional pathways.
He reaffirmed Governor Nwifuru's commitment to senior citizens, the statement called for restraint, accuracy, and responsible communication from opposition platforms. The Ministry reiterated that the welfare of elderly Ebonyians is a matter of dignity and statutory duty, promising that every legitimate entitlement established through the proper channels will be fully addressed by the responsible authorities.
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