BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Pensioners in Osun State have sought divine intervention over their unpaid entitlements by the state government. The retirees alleged that the state governor, Gboyega Oyetola-led administration has been insensitive to their plights.
The retired civil servants then organised a prayer session in Osogbo on Thursday and called on God to prevail on the Governor to pay their entitlements and save them from excruciating hardship and deaths.
Speaking at the religious gathering, the coordinator of the Women Wing of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in the state, Mrs Ronke Aderibigbe, said all their efforts to meet with Oyetola and table their concerns had been unsuccessful.
Aderibigbe said all the save our souls letters written to the office of the governor had not been attended to stressing that many of the pensioners had been engaging on odd jobs to fend for themselves and their families even at old age.
She said, “we the pensioners in Osun State have been facing a lot of problems as regards the failure of Governor Oyetola to pay our entitlements.
“For instance, some pensioners who retired in 2008/09 are yet to be paid their gratuity. We now notice that our efforts to meet Governor Oyetola have been proving futile. It is like an exercise in futility.
“The leadership of NUP, under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Abdulganiyu and the Secretary, Comrade Bandele Aina, has taken all necessary actions to meet with the governor. We don’t know our sins before Governor Oyetola. Since we have sought his face and he has refused to look at our faces, we know God will answer our prayers.
“We have written so many letters but nothing is forthcoming. With all our struggles, Governor Gboyega Oyetola is not doing anything. He has rubbished us. He has pushed us to the walls. And we feel there is no more to do than to pray.
“The SSG is there, the Chief of Staff is there; they cannot say they don’t know what is happening just as Governor Oyetola is claiming he did not know what is happening. After all he (Oyetola) worked with former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
“Pensioners are dying. Oyetola has refused to pay. He has refused to give us our entitlements. We are dying because there is no money to treat ourselves. There are elders amongst us who have terminal ailments.”
She added that the situation has forced some pensioners to be commercial motorcycle riders while their children take up other odd jobs.
She alleged that the state government officials have found ‘some cabals’ among the pensioners adding that “they (government officials) only pay their family members and relatives.”
Aderibigbe then appealed to the state governor to address their grievances before the forthcoming election in the state.
