Ogun pensioners accuse Amosun of neglect

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The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Ogun State chapter, has accused the state government of neglect and failure to fulfill its promise to pay their monthly stipends promptly.

Scores of the pensioners had converged on the Nigeria Labour Congress secretariat along Moshood Abiola Way, Abeokuta, on Friday for a stakeholders’ meeting to register their displeasure over government attitude to their welfare.

The Chairman of the pensioners in the state, Kessignton Odukoya, said government had failed to pay gratuity and pension since 2013, adding that Governor Ibikunle Amosun, was fond of making promises he would not honour.

Odukoya, who spoke for the pensioners, added that statutorily, pensions should be reviewed upward every five years, but argued that such had yet to happen over the years in the state.

He said, “Series of meetings were held with the government with the governor in attendance, but they always ended with promises.

“Since the advent of this administration, all the requests made through letters, representation and dialogues to the governor have yielded no result.”

However, the government commended the pensioners for providing a platform to shed more lights on governmental activities with respect to pension administration.

The Head of Service, Sola Adeyemi, who was represented by the Director, Bureau of State Pension, Mrs. Taiwo Adebiyi, lamented that the present administration inherited a backlog of gratuity from the immediate past administration.

She added that the government, however, would not allow the welfare of pensioners to be over-ridden by other activities.

Source: Punch