Pensioners in Ogun State are waging ‘war’ against the re-election bid of Governor Dapo Abiodun over their accumulated gratuities and other entitlements, amounting to N68 billion, Daily Trust reports.
Ogun State Governor’s father, Pa Emmanuel Abiodun, died last year August at the age of 89. Being a retired teacher, he had encouraged his son upon assumption of office to always ensure that civil servants and pensioners get their entitlements at the due time.
“When I assumed office, my dad told me to be faithful to the oath of office I took. He said I should respect the civil servants, pay them regularly and ensure that pensioners get their gratuities and all will be well,” the governor said, while paying tributes to his late father.
His late father’s words were instructive in order to avoid the ongoing crisis between Governor Abiodun and the pensioners in the state.
The state under his watch, in the last three year, has witnessed two strike actions by the organised labour and serial protests by the senior citizens to press home their demands.
*The genesis *
In September 2020, the Organised Labour had embarked on a one-week warning strike over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage, the abolition of the pension reform bill, the payment of gratuities, payment of outstanding six years leave allowances, three years promotion and 134 months unpaid pension, among others.
The strike was later suspended after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the representatives of the state government to implement the labour’s demands including quarterly release of N500m for the payment of the backlog of gratuities.
Findings by Daily Trust revealed that the leadership of pensioners in the state were worried over the N500million quarterly commitment, describing it as meagre compared to the huge debt.
The accumulated gratuities and other entitlements of the retirees were put at N68 billion.
A larger part of the debt was due to the non-payment by the previous administrations since 2011 it was gathered.
Few days after the signing of the MoU, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Ogun State chapter, rejected the N500m offer by the government and demanded an increment of N1 billion.
The Chairman of NUP, Waheed Oloyede, said with the proposal, it would take 34 years to offset the N68 billion gratuities.
He said: “We demand immediate payment of gratuities for state retirees from 2014 to date and local government retirees from September 2011 to date.
“Although the government has agreed to make a quarterly release of N500,000,000, from January 2021, this proposal is not acceptable to us as it would take 34 years to offset the outstanding N68 billion arrears. Rather, we would suggest a N1 billion monthly release by the government.”
The senior citizens also demanded the immediate implementation of the 33.4 per cent increase in pension, lamenting some of them still earn a paltry sum of N5,000 as monthly pension.
*Protests, spiritual warfare*
Between 2021 and now, more than five open protests have been held by the pensioners against Abiodun’s government.
The senior citizens also sought spiritual solutions, having engaged in fasting and prayers to force their entitlement out of the government’s hands.
In September 2021, the 80-year old Chairman of the Local Government Pensioners Association of Nigeria (LOGPAN), Sikiru Ayilara, alongside his members, after a three-day fasting and prayers, stormed Abiodun’s office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, protesting their unpaid gratuities.
Armed with placards and mats, the pensioners blocked the two main gates of the Oke-Mosan secretariat in Abeokuta, locking out the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, during their demonstration.
The senior citizens also clashed with some security agents who shut them out of the secretariat when they were advancing towards the governor’s office.
Again in November, the retirees, who seemed not ready to give up on their agitations, took to the streets to demand an audience with Gov Abiodun.
Ayilara lamented the payment of N5,000 as pension to the members, saying the amount could not feed the politician’s dog.
“We are not going to curse, but every pronouncement, every covenant of God on anybody that is oppressing the poor, the needy, the widows, the aged and the orphans will be on anybody contributing to our oppression,” he said.
On the efforts made to get Abiodun’s attention, Ayilara said, “We have written 12 letters now; the 10th one was given to him at the arcade on Independence Day; he did not turn his attention.”
Burdened by debt
In March 2021, Abiodun presented cheques of N500million to 257 beneficiaries in fulfillment of the quarterly payment of gratuity to all retirees in the state.
The governor also apologised to pensioners in the state for the unpaid gratuities since 2011.
While expressing concern over the backlog of gratuities, he tendered apology on behalf of the previous administrations because “the entitlements were inherited liabilities.”
Abiodun said as a son of retired teachers, he could not have turned a blind eye to the plight of pensioners.
“On behalf of the previous administration, I apologise,” he said.
Daily Trust reports that last month, the LG pensioners’ body asked their children and relatives not to vote for Abiodun in next year’s election, accusing him of being insensitive to their plights.
“It appears we will have no other options than to persuade our children to work against his re-election in 2023.
“The truth is, in the last three years, Abiodun has been giving flimsy excuses; insufficient funds to clear the N68bn.
“Abiodun’s non-clearing of our gratuities is even a dishonour to all fathers and mothers, particularly his own father who appealed to him at the point of death to cater for the aged,” the body said.
Don’t vilify me—Abiodun
The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, told the retirees not to vilify him over “offence” committed by the past administrations in the state.
He said that the backlog of the gratuities were all inherited liabilities from previous administrations.
And if his predecessors were committed to the plight of pensioners like him, more than N16bn would have been defrayed.
A statement signed by the state Chairman, Waheed Oloyede, and the Secretary, Bola Lawal, said Abiodun is bound to offer the debt because the government is continuum.
“Abiodun glorified himself to have paid N2.5 billion in gratuity out of outstanding N68 billion within his three years in office.
It said, “It is unfortunate that Governor Abiodun sees himself as a champion compared to other state governors who assumed office as first timers like Abiodun and who have performed marvelously well like Baba Gana Zulum of Borno State who cleared N15 billion in his first release. Also, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as at now has paid more than N18.5 billion gratuity to Oyo State pensioners, yet they met indebtedness on assumption of office.”
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