Retirees appeal to Ambode over unpaid benefits

Tom Okpe, Abuja

Some retired workers of the Radio Lagos and Lagos state television have appealed to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to pay their entitlements by providing adequate fund to the organizations to enable them offset their terminal benefits before May 29.

The retirees who made the appeal in Lagos, claimed that there had been a delay in processing the benefits.

Mr. Biodun Akinbusuyi, who spoke on behalf of the affected retired workers, said that they were transferred from two parastatal-agencies to the main service in 2016.

According to him, the Lagos state Pension Commission returned the retirees’ files to the two parastatal-agencies and said that their terminal benefits should be paid by the organizations.

“We are appealing to Ambode to assist the parastatals, agencies by approving the terminal benefits which is not up to N100 million before the administration terminates. We are not more than 20 retirees affected by this development,” Akinbuyi said.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigboye had at the last congress of the Lagos state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) promised the retirees that their terminal benefits would be paid.

He also said the ministry will assist in ensuring that issues causing delay in treating the files of the affected retirees will be sorted out as soon as possible, assuring that “though Radio Lagos and Lagos Television are financially insolvent to pay the retirees benefits, but the governor will do his utmost before handing over.”