By Jamiu Ganiyu
Scores of Retirees in Osun State habe returned to the streets of Osogbo, the state capital, for the 2nd time within the space of two days over their demand for payment of 15 months arrears of pension owed them by the state government.
The protesters, who like yesterday carried banners with inscriptions such as “EFCC should probe Aregbesola”, Retirees are dying”, “Pension, Gratuity is our right,”
The chairman of Forum of 2011/2012 Pensioners, Mr. Yemi Lawal, in a exclusive interview with osun.life declared that Osun’s retirees were the most traumatized in the country.
In his words, he said, “since the inauguration of the new Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, we have written four consecutive letters to him but to our surprise, this government is very adamant, they did not even call use for any meeting, we have also sent letters of the appeal”
“Although we are not politicians, we were forced by our members to congratulate Governor Gboyega Oyetola and we did in order to appease to him, so thereafter, we have sent four letters to him, detailing the predicament of our members and how are in abject poverty but the Governor is not bothered by the welfare of we retirees in Osun and this is why we were forced to come out today”
“We have event went to securities agencies in the state, the commissioner of police, the Director of State Security service, the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 11 and commander of Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, we went to them, go to the Governor and help us to appeal to him to pay our money”
“Someone whose gratuity is in millions and is now being paid 100,000, what ratio or percentage is that they want us to get our entitlement at piecemeal, of which, they cannot take that, so after much letters and appeals which yielded no fruitful results, we have to come out”
“We are telling the whole world that this is what we are experiencing in Osun State”
“Before we retired in 2011/2012, we called the immediate past Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, that the numbers of workers that would be retiring were 17, 152, that if this number is out of service, note that it is true that salary you would be paying will be less but pension would be higher and you may not have much to pay all, better allow all these people to be working and retiring one after the other, in that wise, it would help Government”
“We cited that of the neighboring states, Ogun, Oyo, and Ekiti that have never implemented the new pension scheme, Aregbesola said we should retire, he will look for money to pay us and that was how we left the service”
The retiree leader described the government of All Progressives Congress as propagandists, he said, sometimes the former governor would be telling some people that he was not owing them and in other instances, he would admit owing them.
However, the government in a rejoinder message through the Supervisor for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji disclosed in a statement while reacting to the protest that Osun under Mr Adegboyega Oyetola has received no Paris refund from the FG talk less of diverting it for other purposes.
In a statement made available to newsmen through the Information officer, Ministry of Finance, Mr Kingsley Omoyeni, the Supervisor stated that the administration of Mr Adegboyega Oyetola is known for its transparency and accountability and will never do such.
He urged the protesters and their supporters to crosscheck with other states on the Paris club refund in order to be properly guided, saying that no state of the federation has received such fund.
Oyebamiji explained further that with or without the Paris Club refund, the present administration is looking into the matter of the pensioners, noting that their welfare remains paramount to the Oyetola administration.
According to the statement, Mr Bola Oyebamiji disclosed that the government is looking into their case and will never be nonchalant about the welfare of pensioners as well as the active workers of the state.
The statement reads in parts, “There is no iota of truth in the rumor going around that Osun government has received #6.3 billion as the Paris club refund, there has been nothing of such at all.
“I want the pensioners to fact check the information from their colleagues from other states, i can assure you that no state has received the fund. Our state cannot be different, there is no way only Osun can get such fund within Nigeria.
“The Oyetola administration attaches so much importance to the welfare of workers and pensioners in the state, the state government is always looking into their welfare and we are hoping that things will continue to get better.
“Government is not keeping a blind eye to their welfare at all, we can never be nonchalant about their issue, so we appeal to them to be rest assured that whenever there is fund we shall take care of the arrears in contention.
“Our pensioners are aged people who have served the state well in their active years and they deserve the best of treatment from the government, there is no way the government will be so heartless not to take care of their needs if funds are available” Oyebamiji stated.
As a result of the protest, motorists playing the popular Osogbo-Gbongan road are finding it difficult to pass as the retirees have taken a section of the road matching to the Governor’s office, Abeere, Osogbo.