Again, retirees protest in Osun, demand payment of gratuities

RETIREES in Osun, under the aegis of Forum of 2011/2012 Pensioners, on Wednesday in Osogbo, staged another round of protest to demand payment of their gratuities and monthly pension allowances, lamenting that one of their members committed suicide in October, 2017 at Ejigbo community, the country home of the incumbent Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Hon Najeem Salam.

Addressing journalists during the protest at the popular Olaiya junction, in Osogbo, the leader of the pensioners, Comrade Yemi Lawal said: “Since January 2013 when we disengaged from the service and the government supposed to give us our gratuities, up till today, Aregbesola has not paid us.”

He, however, pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari led the federal government to use subsequent special intervention fund duo to Osun for the direct offset of pensioners gratuities and a backlog of 14 months allowance, without recourse to Osun State government.

Lawal claimed that before the inception of the current administration, “the former government had been using N200million monthly to settle gratuity, contending that “Aregbesola effected total stoppage of gratuity since September 2013 and you can imagine, our people are dying despite our outcry, our plea. We wrote many letters that he should come to our rescue. Many of our people are dying. Somebody committed suicide in Ejigbo, the hometown of Mr Speaker. He is a pensioner. That was last month and we sent a letter to House of Assembly to tell them about what was happening. The man has no money to maintain himself and he committed suicide. He was a retired Head Master (HM).”

According to Lawal, “I have forgotten his name. But, he is from Ejigbo local government. We wrote a “Save Our Soul” letter to them that they failed to perform their oversight functions. President Muhammadu Buhari released over N83billion bailout just for the payment of gratuity, pension arrears to Osun alone. Osun got N83 billion. From the first bailout, N35 billion, relief fund, over N15 billion, budget support because of our own problem, first and the second tranche of Paris club refund, totaling about N83.6 billion.”

He continued, “Our governor, the Hitler of our time did not use the money to pay our entitlements. If he had used the money, the arrears of 14 months now would not have arisen. Unpaid gratuity would not be there and he said he did not divert money. If he didn’t divert money, why should the debt continue.”

While reacting to the claims of the retirees, the government in a press statement endorsed by Osun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa described as “disturbing and unfortunate, the continued blackmailing and serial attempt to discredit the government by the 2011/2012 forum of pensioners who had taken to habitually lying in pursuit of political goal than real pension matters”.

The statement reads, “2011/2012 pensioners group are a fraction of those who retired from service in 2012 to avoid being part of the Contributory Pension Scheme. As a government, we categorically state that government has paid workers and pensioner up to date with the modulated structure agreed upon by the government and the labour unions since 2015. The government does not owe any worker or pensioner based on the modulated payment scheme as the pensioners have alleged.”

“We wish to put it on record that Aregbesola increased the amount being paid as a pension by 500 percent in 2011. The non-payment of gratuity is not peculiar to Osun, and the government has shown its readiness to pay the gratuity as soon as the state finances improve. It is on record that this group of pensioners had at one time or the other in the past lied to the government of Osun; and in specific reference they had alleged that government collected a tranche of the Paris Club refund and diverted it only to have a whole month wait for the actual release of the fund”.

In a civilised environment and without motives other than pension matters, the so-called 2011/2012 pensioners forum would have buried their heads in shame and exercise decorum expected of senior citizens to make unfounded allegations once more. Today’s findings have confirmed the government’s submission that the 2011/2012 pensioners are politicians and not pensioners. They are in pursuit of political matter. The government’s claim is established with the identification of some opposition card-carrying members from a part of the Central Senatorial zone as part of the protesters.”

In contradiction with what happens in some states whereas we speak, workers are owed 22 months salaries and about 40 months pensions to pensioners, Osun Pensioners are being paid same time with the workers of the state. Government wishes to call the attention of the good people of Osun to the fact that the 2011/2012 group of pensioners does not represent the totality of pensioners in the state. Other pensioners in the state have not been acting that suspicious like those calling themselves 2011/2012 set of pensioners,” the statement added.