Ex-MYP members petition JB

Former members of the disbanded Malawi Young Pioneers (MYP) have asked President Joyce Banda to probe government officers who were handling their payments together with the group’s old committee over delayed pension payments to the members.

The members, who presented their petition through the Lilongwe district commissioner (DC) yesterday, are accusing the group’s old committee of conniving with some government employees and some  government officials of deliberate gross negligence and rejection of payment acts which has delayed payments of about 3 000 former MYP members.

Speaking at the DC office, the group’s publicity secretary Hendrix Chijota said the officers need to be probed.

“We observed fraud and ghosting of former MYP victims suspected to have been masterminded by top government officials and the committee,” claimed Chijota.

The petition claims these ‘ghost’ MYPs have benefitted from a lot of money while genuine members got K1 500 as minimum retirement package and K5 000 as average package.

Reads the petition: “From 28 February to 17 March some ghost ex-MYPs were caught and arrested after having connived with the old committee to steal the government’s coffers and yet genuine former MYPs got almost nothing. Please Madam President; rescue us from these evil-channelled activities.”

The members also want the President to consider their premature retirement and to use the new data prepared by the current committee.

Representative of the DC, Peter Dokali assured the former MYPs that the petition will be presented to the President.

Government, in late 2012 conceded to the ex-MYPs demands of pension, compensation and other payments after over 4 000 members marched to the OPC.