Days before tenure end, Ajimobi owes us N62.5b, Oyo pensioners cry out

Pensioners in Oyo state under the umbrella of Nigerian Union of Pensioners and Retired Primary School Teachers on Sunday lamented unpaid arrears of gratuities and pensions totalling N62.5 billion by the outgoing government of the state.

Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, secretary of Retired Primary School Teachers, Tunji Ogunwale and secretary of Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Segun Abatan explained that unpaid pensions and gratuities to retired primary school teachers and civil servants has made it difficult for retirees in the state to rest after labour.

Abatan faulted proposed life pensions for political office holders after serving for four years, saying  political office holders are killing the nation.

According to him, it amounts to cheating and exploitation of the common patrimony by the political class to do nothing for the people yet enjoying life pensions.

“It is workers today, pensioners tomorrow. How can somebody serve for four years and continue to take life pension? If that is it then we want to propose that workers should also serve for four years, get out and take their pension for life. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Let us see if the economy of this country is going to sustain it.”

On unpaid arrears of pension by the outgoing Ajimobi government, the duo said pensioners are owed between eight to sixty months while lamenting that some pensioners receive two thousand naira as pension in the state.

The secretary of retired primary school teachers avers, “Today Oyo State government is owing us 62.5 billion naira. That is the amount of gratuities left unpaid. I am personally being owed thirty-five months pension arrears. They are owing some of us sixty months, some fifty-five and some of us forty months. It varies from eight to sixty months. He has never paid anybody gratuity in the last eight years. If we had not gone to court that means he would not have deemed it fit to pay a dime for eight years.”

While Abatan lamented that the N1.5billion naira by the Ajimobi government is a drop in the ocean of debt being owed pensioners in the state.

Abatan said “The government has started paying about 1.5 billion naira as kick-start even though we know it has not scratched the surface. You owe somebody 60billion and you released 1.5billion. How many years will it take you to vacate the remaining humongous debt? The Union has taken government to court. As I speak with you we have pensioners in Oyo state that still earn N2,000 per month.”