A man who left Guyana in 2015 to undergo some medical procedures in the United States has been denied his Old Age Pension, and is pleading with the relevant Authority to speedily address what he said is a troubling issue.
Inshan Ally
Back in May of 2015, Inshan Ally, 73, of Triumph, East Coast Demerara, (ECD) left Guyana for the United States to undergo several surgeries including to his eyes and hand. He said he spent just over a year in the US. The man was unable to travel immediately after completion of the operations. He returned to Guyana on June 1 this year, and commenced the process of sorting out his pension. That was when the “royal runaround” began.
“I worked 45 years with the government in the Ministry of Public Works. I retired in 2004. After my retirement, I had some other work with the National Parks Commission for seven years before I applied for my Old Age Pension in 2009 at the age of 65.”
Ally said he has been receiving his pension since 2009, and even presented the remains of his 2014 and 2015 books to prove that he has been living in Guyana and has been receiving his pension.
He said upon his return, he went to the office of the Region Four administration but was directed to the Ministry of Social Protection where he interfaced with an acting Assistant Probation and Social Services Officer (name provided). He said the official has been refusing to make his book available, telling him that he could not get his pension because he spent two years out of the country.
The pensioner has denied that he spent two years out of Guyana, and was even forced to take a statement from the Central Immigration office, which showed that Ally departed Guyana on May 31, 2015 and returned on June 6 2016. He also took his passport which was stamped by immigration officials, reflecting the very information, yet the officer held out that he spent two years out of the country and could not get his pension.
Ally said he was fortunate to speak to an official above the assistant probation officer, Ministerial Advisor John Adams from the Ministry of Social Protection, who in a stamped note, instructed the officer to release the book and pension. This too was not done.
“He (Social Services officer) got me sit down waiting. So I ask the girl (secretary) what he got me waiting for, he got the directive to give me the book, because the book supposed to be already there, so after I waiting there, I said I ain’t able with this. I talked to another man upstairs, the director, and he sent me down to the man, for him to open my file and let me get my book, and he never did, although I submitted all of my papers and documents.”
These documents included information about his travel, doctor notes on the surgeries done, among other things. Yet the official has denied him his pension.
He is hoping that government would hear his plea and address the situation accordingly.
