Osun pensioners, govt bicker over 18 months’ arrears

Pensioners in Osun yesterday prevented vehicular movement for hours and threatened to ‘charm’ any motorist or cyclist that dared them.
The retired workers began their second day protest to press home their demand over 18 months’ pensions and gratuities as they blocked major roads in Osogbo, the state capital, paralyzing business activities for several hours.
Major roads and entrances to the town such as Okefia and Olaiya were blocked while the pensioners chanted anti-Aregbesola songs “for refusing to pay their pensions and gratuities.”
Motorists and motorcyclists who tried to find means of passing their way were threatened by some of the pensioners who said they would be ‘charmed’ if they dared pass the way.
In one of the flyers distributed by the angry protesters, they said, “people of Osun state, the half salary had killed more than Boko Haram.”
Reacting to the protest, the state government described the protesters as “mischief maker and blackmailers”, saying government has been committed to the payment of pension and gratuity of its retired workers.
A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Adelani Baderinwa, said, “No genuine retired workers in the state will go out to protest on the lies and political statement they call nonpayment of pension and gratuity. Any pensioner that does that should be checked, he or she might be a paid mischief maker and blackmailer.
“We wish to remind the general public that this set of pensioners were persistent in their show of shame and political gathering called protest between June and July last year when we were about to conduct the Osun West Senatorial District bye election.
“They disappeared into the thin air immediately after the election. Seeing them on the street this time around is not surprising, they have been obviously paid to blackmail the government like they did a year ago.
“For record purpose, the government had in February this year specially paid pensions and gratuity to a total number of 2006 pensioners who retired from Ministries, Departments, Agencies and parastatals service in 2011/2012 when the government released a sum of N1.2 billion for such purpose.
“Cheques containing different amount of money was handed over to the pensioners by the Head of Service, Dr Oyebade Olowogboyega. Of the N1.2bn, a sum of N200m was used to paid gratuity while additional N200million was added in March for the payment of gratuity as well, making the total sum N400m for gratuity payment.
“Also in May, a total sum of N200m was released for the payment of gratuities to retired officers on old pension scheme and another sum of N100million for the payment of contributory pensioners.
“In the same May of this year, the government released a sum of N1.8bn bond to the retired workers under the Contributory Pension Scheme in the state. More than 210 civil servants were given the bond certificates. 171 retired officers and 39 retired workers from the local government received their bond certificates totaling N1.6bn and N200m respectively.”