Why Imo owes retirees 17 months arrears – Okorocha

Again, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has said his inability to
pay pensions arrears ruining over 17 months was due to shortfall in
allocations from the Federation Account.
In a statement at the weekend by the his Chief Press Secretary, Sam
Onwuemeodo, in response to last Wednesday's protest by retirees,
Okorocha urged them to wait till the workers' verification exercise is
concluded in the next few weeks.
Urging those, who are in support of the protest to desist from the
act, he said, "The only area the governor felt and still feels worried
with the pensioners is their failure or inability to find out the
reason for the delay in the payment of their pensions since such
hadn't arisen before now.

He said the state used to pay pensioners as and when due until the
recent economic crunch, adding "The pensioners do not need to be told
that the governor loves them greatly and would have also loved to pay
them all the arrears outrightly."
"The economic situation in the country at the moment occasioned by the
mismanagement of the country's resources over the years, which has
also negatively affected finances of the states has called for
stringent measures in the payment of salaries and pensions.