Pensioners protest in Osun, say 2000 retirees dead

Pensioners in Osun State again on Thursday took over the popular Ola-iya junction in Osogbo, the state capital, to protest the inability of Governor Rauf Aregbesola to pay their gratuity and pension arrears.

They also demanded for prompt payment of their statutory entitlements from the recently released Paris Club Refund.

The pensioners, who were chanting various anti-government songs, lamented that they have written series of letters of appeal and held meetings with well-meaning people of Osun State over Aregbesola’s refusal to pay them, yet nothing came out of it.

The chairman forum of 2011/2012 retirees, Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi, said over 2000 pensioners have died while many others are on their sick bed or married to their wheel chairs as a result of the hardship they are going through.

He added that many retirees are living in dilapidated buildings while their children are out of school because their parents who are retired pensioners cannot maintain them.

He said: “The untimely and unavoidable death continue unabated. Over 2000 pensioners have died, many are on their sick bed, and many are married to their wheel chairs till God knows when. Our children are out of school because their retired parents cannot maintain them.

“Many retirees are living in dilapidated buildings like lunatics, our creditors are making life difficult for us thinking that we have been paid but we do not want to offset our debts. We have no option than to come out on the street again to press for our demands which is the prompt payment of our statutory entitlements from the recently released Paris Club Refund.”

He said the second tranche has been released but Governor Aregbesola was planning to divert it to other projects which he described as “unprofitable white elephant projects” like the execution of July 8 bye-election in the Osun West Senatorial District, the on-going demotion of shops at MDS area and the East by-pass overhead bridge.

Meanwhile, the Osun State government has appealed to pensioners to understand the financial situation of the state and be sincere in their agitations, alleging that a section of the pensioners is being mischievous about the financial status of the state.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, stated this while reacting to the protest staged by a section of pensioners who alleged that the Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration has received the second tranche of the Paris Club refund and diverted it.

According to Baderinwa, the protest was politically motivated as the allegation could not be substantiated, saying “it is unfair and sheer blackmail on the state government.

He stated that state government was yet to receive the second Paris club refund and when it does, it is going to be used judiciously and wisely like the first tranche which was used to pay three-month salaries and pensions.

He said: “I want to categorically say that it is not true that government has received the second tranche of the Paris club refund money. It is not something that can be received behind the people, everyone will hear about it as the Federal Government will announce it to the general public.

“Therefore, it is preposterous for anyone to say that the money has been received when in the actual sense, it is yet to be received. I want to quickly add that it is mischievous to continue trying to blackmail the government of Osun State with that claim, because it is not new.

“We know the set of pensioners that are protesting, it is not the entire pensioners of the state. We know those who are being used by political blackmailers.”

Baderinwa added that the first tranche of the fund was never diverted, but was used to pay three months of outstanding salaries and no one knew the first fund was coming and government on its own without being prodded used it to pay salaries.

“For crying out loud, why would anybody be thinking that the second tranche would be diverted and used other than paying salary? If government on its own used the first one without anyone’s knowledge, don’t you think there is more to it than meet the eye?

“The allegation is unreasonable. For whatever that it worth, whenever it comes, it will be wisely and judiciously used like the previous funds by the Aregbesola’s administration. The truth of the matter is, when you look at it critically, you will conclude that it is political blackmail from the camp of opposition.

“The elder statesmen who are allowing themselves to be used by the political blackmailers should be appealed to; to desist from it,” he added.