Osun pensioners, government in war of words over unpaid pensions, gratuities

The Osun State Chapter of Nigeria Union of Pensioners on Wednesday said that it would continue to disrupt activities of the state government until their gratuity and pensions were fully paid.
However, the State Government said the pensioners ought to appreciate the level of its commitment to their welfare.
Ilesanmi Omoniyi, a former Chairman of NUP in the state, stated the position of the pensioners in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria shortly after a rally to protest their plight in Osogbo.
Omoniyi alleged that Governor Rauf Aregbesola intentionally excluded them from benefiting from the N34 billion bailout released to him by the Federal Government.
He said he was dismayed by the poor condition of members and which the state government had refused to attend to.
According to him, some of the pensioners cannot afford money to take care of themselves and this has led to the death of many.
Omoniyi called on the state government to come to their aid by paying their pensions and gratuities on continuous basis.
Ojo Afolabi, a retiree who spoke to NAN, said the government had continued to promise retirees on payment of their gratuities and pensions, but all in vain.
Afolabi urged the state government not to neglect them stressing that someday the current government officials would be in their shoes.
NAN reports that the rally started at the Ola-Iya Junction at about 7am, with protesters carrying placards with various inscriptions.
The pensioners also marched around the state government secretariat at Abere.
However, the State Government in a statement by the Director of the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Governor’s Office, Semiu Okanlawon, said the pensioners have reasons to appreciate Aregbesola’s commitment to their welfare
Okanlawon said in the statement: “Our attention has been drawn to a protest by a group of pensioners at the state capital, Osogbo, today. This is ill-conceived and the reason is this: As their protest was ongoing, some of them were getting bank alerts for August while some had received their pay since yesterday. It does not sound good at all that the protest by this group is taking place the very day the pensioners are getting their pay. Given the commitment already demonstrated by the state government, we know this action by this group is not supported by the majority of pensioners in the state.
Local Government and Primary School Pensioners have been paid up to August 2016 like all Workers in the State. Same goes for the pensioners who retired from the state’s civil service. The arrangement is that Pensioners earning below N20,000. are paid in full, while those earning above N20,000. are paid 50%. While we sympathize with our workers and pensioners alike for not paying up to date of October, it’s pertinent to state that this is not peculiar to Osun and indeed, Osun has made efforts that should be commended by all especially in the face of national cash crunch.
“There is no basis for accusing Aregbesola of diversion of any fund because simply put there is just nothing like that. And it must never be forgotten that it is this same Aregbesola administration that increased government’s commitment on pension from about N150m monthly to over N650m monthly. A government with no commitment to workers and pensioners’ good is not likely to have done this.”