Two collapsed as retirees picket Commissioner’s office  

http://www.gatewaymail.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Ogun-State-Governor-Senator-Ibikunle-Amosun..jpg

 

‎NIGERIA: TWO of the angry pensioners in Ogun State collapsed during the picketing of the office of the Finance Commissioner, Adewale Osinowo, over unpaid pensions running to two months.

The duo of Mrs. Comfort Dosunmu and Mr Joseph collapsed after waiting endlessly outside the Commissioner’s office during the talks their executive were having with Osinowo.

Their fellow retirees quickly attended to them and poured water on them to revive the pensioners.

The pensioners, who retired from local governments in the state, invaded Osinowo’s office at about 12pm in their hundreds over unpaid gratuities of about five years.

They locked the two ‎iron gates leading to the commissioner’s office to prevent Osinowo from sneaking away.

The action of the retirees at the Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta prevented workers from going in and out of the secretariat arena just as official activities were also disrupted for some hours.

The peeved retirees manned the two gates, which they locked up, insisting that they would not leave until Osinowo come out to talk to them on how to ensure the payment of their outstanding pensions.

When the pensioners refused to quit, the Commissioner who initially stayed glued in his office for about 30 minutes, with the hope that the pensioners would be frustrated and leave, came out to address them.

The Commissioner, who was apparently angry on the presence of journalists rained verbally attacks and threatened to smash all cameras, if any shot was taken.

This action angered the pensioners, who shouted on Osinowo.

The Commissioner later begged the pensioners to engage him in a closed door meeting with their executive, which eventually lasted for some hours.

The Chairman of the Local Government Pensioners, Alhaji Sikiru Ayilara told Osinowo that “we are here today on behalf of ourselves and all local government pensioners and our families to demand for our May and June pensions, which you have refused to remit to our Bureau for payment.”

Ayilara stated that in law the administration and payment of pension are not vested in any office or Ministry (Accountant-General or Commissioner).

He contended that since the Commissioner was known to be close to the Governor, Senaator Ibikunle Amosun, he has allowed the governor to hijack the control of the Bureau.

“We have not enjoyed our lives as pensioners in Ogun State,” he said, adding: “It has been one destructive policy or the other even to withhold our pensions now for two months, whereas state government has not been contributing its own statutory contribution to our pension fund.”

Ayilara, who was visibly angry, said that following the alleged maltreatment against the association, 60 retirees have died due to nonpayment of their “meagre pension,” which, according to him, would have been used to save them from untimely deaths.

He said: “You want us to believe that you designed your policies to kill us so as to reduce pension bill.  If so, God is there to judge the blood shedding.

“Don’t forget that pension is a right and evils that you do will live with them and after them more evil to the aged.”

Ayilara also added that besides the outstanding two months pension, the state had since 2011 not pay gratuity, while stating further that the government was also fond of rolling over a month salary advance on pension payment.

“You know you have not paid any gratuity to us since, and you’ve started to deny us our monthly pensions which had never happened before you become commissioner,” he told Osinowo.

After his parley with the pensioners’ leadership, Osinwo stated that the protest was due to communication gap between the retirees and the government.

According to him, the money had been paid since Wednesday, but claimed that the concerned banks had delayed in posting payment to the accounts of the affected pensioners.

He explained that he had pleaded with the pensioners to give him another 24 hours to ensure that the payment get into the various accounts.

But Ayilara, after the meeting, said that the association had resolved to give the commissioner the benefit of doubt.

He stated that if the pledge failed the retirees would take another action to fight their course, while explained that they had temporarily halted the planned protest to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo.