Some aggrieved pensioners, on Thursday, took to the main streets of Benin to protest against the non-payment of their gratuities.
Their spokesman, Mr Marcus Afekafe, lamented that they were bittered because Governor Godwin Obaseki was treating them like second class citizens in the state.
Afekafe said that despite the harsh economic situation in the country, many senior citizens in the state still recieve a paltry of N400, N2,000, N3,000 and N10,000 as the case may be monthly.
He wailed: “All of us here have used our youthful years to serve the state. We are not younger. By tomorrow, our age today has increased by one.
“Our grievances is that many of our colleagues still receive meagre monthly pension. Some still receive N400 a month. How much is a litre of fuel now? Some N2000 a month; some N3000, some N10,000 as the case may be.
“Our local government colleagues who retired since 2008 have not got their gratuities. This is supposed to be a lump sum that will be given to retirees to settle their lives for later years.
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“For the state, since 2012 to date, Obaseki has not paid anybody who retires from the state civil service any gratuities.
“Thirdly, according to Section 210 (3) of the Nigerian constitution, pension is ought to be reviewed in Nigeria every five years or be increase along with increment in salaries of workers.”
According to the spokesman, the last time former Governor Adams Oshiomole increased the salary of workers from M18,000 to N25,000 as a parting gift to workers, they were not carried along, noting that no single pensioners benefited from the N30,000 minimum wage.
Afekjafe demanded the immediate payment of all their entitlements and harmonisation of pension for all retirees on the same grade level, notwithstanding, their year of retirement.
But addressing the pensioners, the deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, assured that modalities were being put in place by the state government to offset the arrears of the gratuities.
Shaibu pleaded with the retirees to give the government time to resolve the issue once and for all, noting that the government had already set up a committee headed by the state Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa, to work out the modalities.
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Edo pensioners protest against non-payment of gratuities
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