BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
No fewer than three pensioners collapsed at the ongoing screening of staff and retirees in the payroll of the Osun State Government on Monday.
The development caused confusion as the aged citizens made efforts to revive their colleagues with water as others sought for intervention of medical workers.
The senior citizens, The Point gathered, had arrived at the premises of the Center for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo, venue of the screening as early as 7:30am and had waited for about four hours before the exercise could commence.
Numbering about 2,000, the retirees, including old men and women who are visibly aged, frail and in some cases sick, came to Osogbo from different parts of the state.
Some of the pensioners who were physically impaired and with stroke were brought to the venue by their children and other relatives.
A number of them who could not withstand long standing were seen either lying down, sleeping or sitting on the bare floor to avoid negative eventuality.
Many of the pensioners were visibly angry for what they described as inhuman treatment by the handlers of the exercise who allegedly delayed them before starting.
In their various reactions after three of them suddenly collapsed, the pensioners advised the state government to decentralise the screening next time.
It took the intervention of the medics of the State Ambulance Service to revive and stabilise the victims.
The consultant in charge of the exercise, Saadat Bakri-Ottun was yet to arrive at the venue as at the time the pensioners fell down.
Recall that the staff audit was earlier suspended for weeks by the state House of Assembly over complaints of inhuman treatment meted to some civil servants by the consultant. However, the suspension was lifted after Bakri-Ottun promised to amend her approach.
In an interview with The Point at about 4:40pm on Monday, one of the leaders of Osun Contributory Pensioners, Prince Abduyekeen Adesoye Oyerinde, said the exercise had commenced.
He confirmed that his three colleagues collapsed due to prolonged standing while awaiting the commencement of the screening.
Oyerinde advised that the government should ensure decentralisation of the programme when next it is organising staff screening.
According to him, “You know many of us are bedridden, some have strokes and some, because of old age, cannot walk well, but because of this screening, everyone had to force themselves to Abeere for the exercise. So, that was what caused the crisis and the collapse of some of us.
“Next time, the screening exercise should be decentralised. If they (state government) cannot do it at local government and area office level, they should do it at zonal level. But, I feel the government cannot do this because of the financial involvement because we are the ones who paid our transport fare to Abeere. But, the government is dodging the extra financial commitment that the decentralization may cause because they will need more hands and facilities for the screening if it is decentralised and that will cost them more.”
He added, “They are attending to us now and those who collapsed have been revived.”