– Recently, retirees in Osun state shocked Nigerians when they formed an internally displaced pensioners camp
– The governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola, reportedly accused the pensioners of being used to undermine his government
– The pensioners have denied this and given what they called the real reasons they took the decision
A report from retirees who have now constituted themselves into the Internally Displaced Pensioners (IDP) in Osun, have accused the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, of owing them up to N26.7 billion.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola is reportedly owing the pensioners to the tune of about N26.7 billion
The IDPs set up a camp in the state recently demanding that they be paid the backlog of their arrears and other entitlements.
In a statement to ZENITHBLOG.com by a forum of 2011/2012 retired public servants of Osun state branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), the retirees said they decided to form the camp as part of efforts to take good care of their members medically and to draw the attention of the world to their plights.
The forum denied being sponsored by political enemies of the state government as Governor Aregbesola was reported to have said.
READ ALSO: Osun pensioners’ “IDP camp” is a wicked, mischievous joke – Govt
It said this was why no politicians visited the camp during the session and that its members could not continue with the camp “due to the security report that the state government and its agent were coming with their political thugs, popularly known as ‘state boys’ to attack the gathering as they did during the July 7, 2015 mass demonstration by retirees to pressure for their demand.”
The statement signed by Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi, Comrade Sola Olojede and Comrade Yemi Lawal, the chairman, secretary and leader of the forum respectively, disclosed that not less than 1,468 pensioners in the state had lost their lives while waiting for their statutory emoluments owed by the government.
“There are many wrong insinuations and falsehood being peddling around by the government of Osun state under the watch of Mr Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola and his agents of evil.
“It is incredible to hear the governor that
The pensioners said they had to leave the camp for security reasons
“It is against this backdrop that we want to put the record straight on our grouse against the insensitivity of the present administration to the pensioners’ plights and sufferings.
“Between 2008 and 2012, Osun state government owed the pensioners in the state the sum of N22 billion as gratuities till today.
“We have received between July 2015 and December, 2016, the half of our monthly statutory pensions.
“The government of Osun is using the sum of N520 million to pay our full monthly pension and by calculation, the government is owing us complete nine months pension (18 months halves).
“As at today, Osun state government owes us N4.7 billion as pension arrears. Then, the total indebtedness of Osun state government to retirees in the state amounts to N26.7 billion.”
According to the statement, about 500 retirees are on their sick beds without money to take care of their health while many of their children have been sent out of schools due to their parents’ inability to pay their school fees.
READ ALSO: How Obasanjo, Aregbesola saved Oluwo of Iwo from trial
It added that, some of their members have been ejected from their rented houses due to non-payment of accumulated rents and that this makes them live like lunatics in uncompleted and dilapidated buildings across the state.
The state government was yet to react at the time of this report.
360naze
No comments:
Post a Comment