The Commissioner for Finance, Abia State, Dr Aham Uko, has denied having a hand in the arrest of two pensioners by the Nigerian police on Thursday.
He said this through a statement made available to Newsleverage on Friday.
Recall that two pensioners, Daniel Amigo and Chukwuemeka Augustus, the Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of a group, called Abia State Concerned Pensioners were arrested by the police Thursday after their alleged meeting with the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Aham Uko, in his office.
The statement reads, “My attention has been drawn to publications in a section of the media alleging that I met with a group of pensioners on Thursday, January 23, 2020, in my office, and subsequently invited security agents to arrest them.
“I wish to state, without fear of contradiction, that I did not meet with the said pensioners and never ordered the arrest of any of them. The story as published is false and malicious as I was involved in meetings outside my office on the said day and only read about the purported meeting with the pensioners from the media.
“It is important to point out that following the directive of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, we have prioritized regular payment of pensioners to ensure that they receive their due along with other workers in the state every month. There is, therefore, no basis for me to order the arrest of any pensioner or any other law-abiding Abian for that matter.”
When contacted, the Vice-Chairman of the group, Mr John Kalu, said that they wanted to embark on a peaceful protest which was why their leaders were invited by the Commissioner.
According to Kalu, the Commissioner allegedly received a phone call and shortly after, some policemen arrested and took the men to the Umuahia Area Command.
