Thursday, March 28, 2024

Again, Osun retirees stage protest against Aregbesola over non-payment of 12 month arrears

Retirees in Osun State on Thursday trooped to the streets of Osogbo in large numbers in protest against Governor Rauf Aregbesola for the failure of his administration to pay their gratuities and pension arrears.
The aged protesters at about 7:00am, converged at the Ayetoro junction before terminating their peaceful demonstration tagged “Operation Occupy Osogbo” at the popular Olaiya Junction, where they caused heavy traffic snarl for about an hour.
Commuters plying the roads were stranded due to the protest while passersby were seen empathising with the senior citizens.
The protesting retirees have overtime been accusing Governor Rauf Aregbesola of being insensitive to their plight by refusing to pay their entitlements and allowances, which they claimed had led to the death of many of their members.
Thursday’s protest made it the third time this year alone that the retired workers would protest what they described as deliberate refusal of the government to pay their twelve months arrears of pensions.
The protesting pensioners, who converged under the 2011/2012 retirees singing anti government songs, also alleged that no worker that retired from the state civil service since 2008 till date had been paid gratuity.
To the retirees, what was more annoying was that the state government had at three different times received intervention from the Federal Government to pay the workers but refused to and alleged that Governor Aregbesola had diverted money meant for the payment of their gratuities and pensions.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman of the group, Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi, alleged that the governor diverted money meant for the payment of pension and gratuity, adding that Aregbesola was planning to divert the second tranche of the Paris club fund released to state governments.
Speaking in the same vein, a former head of service in the state, Mr. Segun Akinwusi, told the retirees to use their votes to change a government that had made life unbearable for them.
The protesters carried placards with varying inscriptions such as “President Come to our rescue,”  “Aregbesola is a thief,” among others.

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