"Some of these judges are said to have died without receiving their benefits, while many have become sick and unable to afford proper medical care."
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and retired judges in the state have agreed to set up a joint committee to resolve the issue of outstanding benefits and pensions owed to the retired judges for the past 16 years.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Kasie Uko, on Wednesday, Mr Otti claimed that successive state governments, since 2007, failed to pay the retirement benefits of the former judges, which include gratuities, consolidated allowances, severance packages, pension, and miscellaneous entitlements.
"Subsequent administrations had made several commitments either by making authorisation for payment or giving approvals to make payment by instalments, but none of the commitments was made good," Mr Otti said.
The governor said the situation led to the retired judges filing a legal action at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in 2020 against the state government to recover their entitlements.
"Sadly, as the court cases rage, some of these judges are said to have died without receiving their benefits, while many have become sick and unable to afford proper medical care," he stated.
Mr Otti claimed that although the last administration of Okezie Ikpeazu had promised to pay N10 million every month to offset the benefits backlog, he only did so for one month.
The governor said, given his determination to solve the sufferings of the retired judges, he met with them on Tuesday, 25 July, at his residence and assured them of his administration's resolve to end the situation.
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At the emergency meeting convened at the instance of the governor, the retired judges and their lead counsel, Awa Kalu, also a former Attorney-General of Abia State, agreed with Mr Otti on an immediate setting up of the committee to resolve the issue.
The retired judges were led by S. N. Imo, who retired as the state's chief judge.
According to the statement, the committee will be constituted from among retired judges, officials from the Ministry of Justice and relevant officers of the government.
The committee would also calculate and confirm the actual sum due to each of the retired judges or the beneficiaries of those deceased and report back to the governor within two weeks.
"This is to enable the government to set up a pragmatic strategy that would ensure the immediate liquidation of the outstanding retirement benefits," Ikechukwu Uwanna, the State attorney-general, was quoted as saying in the statement.
"His Excellency decried how the state has rewarded some citizens who slaved for the peace, development and progress of Abia State with penury and promised to reverse the trend," Mr Uwanna added.
