Nasarawa PDP Urges Electoral Umpire To Go After Govt Officials Collecting  VIN From Retirees

…. collection of form is not compulsory, Chairman pensioners

The People’s Democratic Party, Nasarawa State Chapter has accused government officials in the State of collecting Voter Identification Numbers from retirees in the State.

The PDP Urges the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and all relevant security agencies to go after the perpetrators and their sponsors by arresting and prosecuting them to serve as a deterrent to others.

The position of the party in the State was contained in a press statement and made available to Universal Reporters by the Public Relations Officer of the PDP, Mohammed Ibrahim Hamza.

The statement advised pensioners in the State to resist this ugly temptation by any gullible Government officials.

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

“The Leadership of Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Nasarawa State has received a report that some government officials are going around collecting the Voters’ Numbers that is on Permanent Voter’s Cards PVC of pensioners in a form designed by the agents of government in the state as a condition for payment of their pension and gratuities”.

To say the least, this is a sad development and it’s unfortunate, given the fact that these set of people sacrificed their productive years to effectively serve their fatherland, and now needed the love, protection, respect, and care of government only to be treated this way, this is most inhuman and unconstitutional.

It is pertinent to note that Payment of pension and gratuities to retired workers is not a privilege but a right for their entitlements. So, for some government officials to begin to initiate partisan politics to the payment is most disheartening.

It could be recalled that the former minister of Information, Labaran Maku has recently raised alarm over the illegal collection of Permanent Voters Cards from women in the State by the ruling All Progressives Congress in the guise of giving them loans.

Saying loans have no link with PVC, he however opined that the Voters Card is the only weapon meant to effect a change of Government.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Pension Bureau Ibrahim Dawaiya when contacted described the statement as baseless and has no link with the bureau.

The Chairman of pensioners in the State, Mal. Hudu Baba Abdullahi while briefing selected Journalists in the State confirmed that forms were given to selected retirees but is not compulsory to all as wrongly stated.

“The copies of the forms are voluntary to willing pensioners who want to join Governor Sule/Dr Akabe Support Group.

He however buttressed that no money was collected from members of the group in the State or pensioners.

Hudu disclosed that everything done in the name of the union was done in open.

Abdullahi Baba added that the APC in Nasarawa State has a platform for support groups, and pensioners who are interested are free to enroll. Part of the process is to register by filling out a form where you will be required to submit your PVC number.

“We are collecting PVC numbers because we want to know whether some of those that are willing to support Governor Sule has voters’ card or not”.

Why is PDP so particular about pensioners enrollment for the support group?, no government agent  or the state pensions bureau is involved in our political affairs.