The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP),Ogun state has accused the state government of deceit saying that it still owes 64.4 billion naira of unpaid gratuities.
Waheed Oloyede, Chairman NUP in Ogun state on Thursday in a press briefing at the NUP secretariat in leme, Abeokuta, added that the state owed 68 billion naira but had paid 3.6 billion naira as at July 2014.
He explained that the event was aimed to
specially draw the attention of the people the sate and the entire nation to the horrendous plight of senior citizens under the state government led by Dapo Abiodun.
“ They have paid 3.6 billion and are still owing 64.4 billion naira and gratuity was paid last in the state as at July 2014 while, primary and local government pensioners were paid up till September 2012.
“ The money is much and that is why we are appealing to government that if they increase the quarterly releases to two billion it would relive and add more to the pensioners.
The pensioners however while expressing their disappointment noted that they had kept their promise and expected same from the state governor.
“His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun visited our Secretariat and we narrated our ordeal in the hands of his predecessor as it affected humongous unpaid gratuities among others.
Interestingly, His Excellency promised to bail us out if elected since governance is a continuum. As senior citizens who value promise made and duly kept, we supported him wholeheartedly and voted massively for him but what followed actually to say the least fell short of our expectations.
While thanking the state governor for keeping to his promise with the release of N600 Million for the third quarter of the year 2022, they however, disclosed that the increase did not reflect the magnitude of the colossal arrears still outstanding as it would take over 35 years for the recent retirees to ever think of collecting due gratuities.
However ,the pensioners called on the state government led by Dapo Abiodun to have a change of heart in the treatment of elderly who had toiled hard for the state.
“It should be noted that General Elections is lurching around the corner throughout the nation and as “One Good turn deserves another”, so in the same vain, “A bad turn deserves what it gets, It is never too late to make amends. As elders, we shall not keep quiet till our demands are met” they said.
