Osun retirees protest a year of unpaid pensions
Retired staff of the 30 Local Government Councils in Osun state have said that the state owes them a year of pensions, explaining that non-payment of their entitlements had worsened their living conditions, making life unbearable for many of them.
The coordinator, Forum of Local Government Retirees, Lanre Fadahunsi, noted that in the last 24 months, members of the group had been receiving half of their monthly pension.
He, however, demanded immediate payment of the money due to them, citing untold hardships which non-payment of their pensions is causing members of the group.
Accusing the agency responsible for payment of salary in Osun state and banks handling the disbursement of pensions of deliberately delaying paying local government retirees, Fadahunshi said members of the group have declined to allow external influence to politicise the situation.
“But we cannot continue to suffer in silence. Our people are dying. We request for a public display of the financial position of the local government in the state in the spirit of Freedom of Information bill.
“Our members have suffered untold hardship because of the said modulated payment being given to us. Pensions are not supposed to be deductible because it holds body and soul together.
“Most times, other categories of pensioners would be paid, and local government retirees would not be paid. We can’t continue to suffer in silence.
“The fund being used to pay state pensioners, from findings, belongs to the local government. However the issue of Joint Account has denied us access to what statutorily belongs to us, and the development is having negative effects on us as senior citizens,” Fadahunshi explained.
