Retirees Protest Unpaid Entitlements In Osun, Allege Diversion Of Paris Club Fund

Retired civil servants in the employment of the Osun State government, on Tuesday, trooped in the major streets of Osogbo, the state capital to protest the non payment of 13 months arrears of pension and other outstanding debts owed by the state government.

The retirees, armed with placards with different inscriptions such as EFCC should probe Aregbesola”, Retirees are dying”, “Pension, Gratuity is our right,” “pay us our entitlements,” Denying us our entitlements is an act of wickedness and callousness ” among others said APC led government has made life miserable for them.

The Chairman of Forum of 2011/2012 Pensioners, Mr. Yemi Lawal, declared that Osun’s retirees were the most traumatized in the country.

Lawal lamented that the state Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola leaves their issue unattended to while pensioners have continued to swimming in the pool of penury, saying it was unfortunate that they were suffering for what they have laboured after meritoriously serving the state for many years.

Urging Governor Oyetola to use a sum of 6.3 billion Paris club fund he received recently from the federal government to offsets their arrears, Lawal said it would be out place for the Governor to divert such a money meant for the payment of arrears of pension and other outstanding debts owed by the government.

Lawan said, “recently federal government released another tranche of Paris club fund with a sum of 6.3bilion naira to Governor Gboyega Oyetola to offset salaries and pension arrears.

It is quite unfortunate that the state government has diverted the money to another frivolous things.

He further alleged that out of the Paris Club fund , the state government has released huge amount of money with which they compensate the immediate past honourable members the state house of Assembly.

According to Lawal a sum of 6 million were given to each member of the state house of Assembly who left the office about three weeks ago while 3.3 million were also given the newly inaugurated members of the assembly each as wardrobe allowance

“Many of our children were out of schools because we are unable to pay their school feel, so we are suffering the pathetic situation is that those who retired under contributing pensioners since 2015 they contributed while in service the state government refused to release the counterpart fee up till now they were not pay.