By EDISON Okereke

Retired Permanent Secretaries in Imo State, have ended the year 2025 with funfair marked celebration and merriment and thanksgiving to God in a ceremony where they appreciated and described Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration as unique among the administrations before his in the State.

The Chairman, Pharm Okey Anyanwu, gave him the testimonial in Owerri, the State capital, in his speech, and subsequent interview with Daily Nigerian Horn shortly after the feast marking the “Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries 2025 End of the Year Party.”

Anyanwu said, “This particular government is unique in a way. Everything we demanded: arrears of pensions, harmonisation and all that are things that happened before Governor Hope Uzodimma. He is the only governor that has come, and from beginning till now has never owed us pension.
“He is the only governor that has never owned us one month pension”. “He is the governor that has paid our gratuities. He is the governor that has put permanent secretaries into Civil Service Commission, Local Government Service Commission and all that. He has done well for us.”

Anyanwu, however, lamented a situation in which the retirees are passing on without the arrears of their pensions, harmonisation of their pensions and those things.

As he put it, “This year we pushed forward our demand for payment of arrears of our pensions, correction of short payments of pensions resulting from unconstitutional reduction in salaries of serving permanent secretaries and the very sad neglect of harmonization of pensions over the years. The negative response to these demands has resulted in many of our colleagues dying without enjoying long outstanding pension arrears and receiving peanuts as pensions of non harmonization,” decrying that most of them lived and died in penury.

Anyanwu who has served the association in different capacities including being its scribe for up to seven times before becoming its chairman some two and a half years ago, expressed the hope that the governor would look into those areas which he believes have been on the Governor’s table.

Anyanwu who retired in 2011 maintained, ‘We do not protest. Ours is to partner with government. We want to go over this issue of arrears of pensions begin to work with government.

“Mark my words, there is no group in Imo State that has more capacity than the association of the retired Perm Secs. Among us you have pharmacists, engineers, town planners —everybody, emphasizing that partnering with government would make things work.

The chairman noted that the Association which had long been in existence, and has over eighty members provides the members a platform to be in touch and jolly together.

“The Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries is not a labour union, nor even a pressure group. It is an opportunity for people like us to come have a good time and discuss issues that concern their welfare.

“Any time the government needs our services we will make ourselves available. It is from this group government chooses people that work in commissions.”

Pharm Anyanwu who is a Knight of the Church expressed happiness over his members’ usual cooperation to make the feast a success.

While calling for a minute silence for their fallen five colleagues in 2025, including a woman, the Chairman informed that the body had set up a welfare committee that would visit their sick members.

At the end of the shindig, some members interviewed expressed happiness with the leadership.

Mrs Sabina Onwuchi who retired from the Ministry of Agriculture in 2022, said the get-together attracted almost all their members, adding that the association makes them feel nostalgic and as if they were still in the service.

She urged the leadership not to relent in its efforts to move it forward.

“Since we left service anything we want from government we do it through the Association. Whatever government wants from us it gets it through them. It gives us a sense of belonging.”

She prayed God for their continued good health and protection.

For Town Planner Samuel Okoro who retired in 2018 from CDC, the feasting was fantastic. “I’m lucky to be a member. The leadership is doing fantastically wonderful,” he intoned in a chat with this paper.

Okoro prayed for God’s continued love, kindness, good health, and protection. “By this time next year, we should gather together again and celebrate.”

The get-together attracted many members including Commissioner 1 in Imo State Local Government Service Commission Chief Uche Edomobi, and goodwill messages from the Head of Service of Imo State Government, Mrs Chikodi Emenalom mini represented by the Permanent Secretary Establishment Ms Ngozi Ejiaku; the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Chairman, Chief J B Ugochukwu who was represented by his Vice-chairman Ajie Agugua Anyadioha

The well attended ceremony witnessed the presence of former Heads of Service of Imo State, former Chairmen of Imo State Civil service, former Principal Secretaries of past Governments and indeed a good number of others.

In a vote of thanks, the chairman, end of the year Organizing Committee, Chief Moses Chikezie thanked all for honoring the invitation and prayed God to guide and protect all to the end of the year and beyond.