From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Osun State Government and pensioners have disagreed over the payment of pension arrears accumulated to billions of naira.
While the pensioners demanded bulk payment of their pension, the state government said it can not pay all the outstanding salaries and pensions at once as demanded by the pensioners, due to paucity of funds.
The Forum of 2011/2012 Pensioners and Contributory Pensioners, at a press conference addressed by Sola Olojede, had urged the government to stop piecemeal payment of gratuity and commence bulk payment to enable them to complete their house projects and end yearly landlords’ embarrassment.
The pensioners demanded implementation of the National Industrial Court, Akure Division, Judgement of 5th October 2017 on N18,000 minimum wage for the 2011/2012 retirees; establishment of Osun pension commission, payment of pension arrears, allocation of commissioners’ slots to pensioners and inclusion of pensioners in the palliative distribution.
“Payment of our gratuity in bulk should be based on a first-come, first-served so that the money will be useful for the pensioners to complete their projects and be saved from the landlords’ monthly or yearly embarrassments. The piecemeal payment of the gratuity has not been helpful because it was used to feed and feed only without anything to show for the labour of 35 years.
“We are also imploring the Governor to set up a high-powered committee comprising of the government representatives and the pensioners to critically examine our issues and make recommendations to his Excellency for quick intervention to prevent more untimely deaths among the pensioners.
“We implore His Excellency to beware of his association with politicians of different extractions, ranging from the members of his party and the partnering parties. The majority of them are hawks, diabolical, callous, wicked, and selfish. They may not allow the Governor to concentrate on achieving his set objectives but are ready to hijack the government and divert his attention from his laudable programmes, which may lead to total failure of the administration. We are begging him to beware of them and their parasitic association. Experience, they say, is the best teacher.
“We are using this medium to inform His Excellency that we heard from reliable authority that assistance in the form of federal government special intervention is coming to Osun state. We are appealing to him to use part of the fund to pay, the Contributory Pensioners their entitlements, the gratuity of the Forum of 2011/2012 Retirees in bulk, and the above-listed pension increase arrears of the old pensioners as he is declaring a state of “emergency” on all pension matters. This will go a long way in ensuring that pensioners have a new lease of life,” the pensioners demanded.
But, a statement by the spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, on Thursday, declared that the paucity of funds could not allow the government to pay the arrears once.
He noted that the government of Adeleke is committed to meeting its financial obligations to workers, both in and out of service, saying “The government can however not pay off all outstanding salaries and pensions all at once due to paucity of funds which is known to all stakeholders.
“The administration has adopted a phased payment system but with an increase in the amount paid monthly to the pensioners among others. In recognition of the state of the economy, the monthly payment has been increased from two hundred thousand naira under the former government to five hundred thousand nairas. This is a decision under implementation despite the tight financial status of the state,” the statement added.