Pensioners in Ogun State have called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to pay their gratuities.
The pensioners claimed that state government retirees were owed from 2014 while local government counterparts are owed from 2011.
The pensioners, who earlier protested around Abiola Way in Abeokuta, asked Gov Abiodun to repeal what they termed “the obnoxious pension bill”, asking him not to deprive them of their legitimate pension and gratuities.
At a press conference addressed in Abeokuta, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners in the state, Mr. Waheed Oloyede, said the proposal by government to release a sum of N500 million quarterly from January 2021 for payment of gratuities was unacceptable.
According to Oloyede, it would take 34 years to offset the outstanding N68 billion arrears the state government is owing the pensioners, suggesting government increase it to N1 billion monthly.
He also asked government to remit all outstanding contributory pension deductions to the appropriate quarters, urging the governor to do the needful rather than allow himself to be used by sycophants.
Oloyede called for the immediate increment in monthly pensions, saying that it was disheartening that majority of pensioners were receiving as little as N5,000 monthly pension in the state.
