Oyo State Government Owes Pensioners N62.5 Billion Unpaid Arrears of Gratuities and Pension.
Pensioners in Oyo State have lamented N62.5 billion unpaid arrears of gratuities and pensions by the Oyo state government.
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan on Sunday, the Secretary of Retired Primary School Teachers, Comrade Tunji Ogunwale and Secretary of Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Comrade Segun Abatan disclosed that unpaid pensions and gratuities to retired primary school teachers and civil servants in the state has made life difficult for retirees in the state.
Secretary of Retired Primary School Teachers, Comrade Tunji Ogunwale said “Today, Oyo State government is owing us N62.5 billion. That is the amount of gratuities left unpaid. I am personally being owed 35 months pension arrears. They are owing some of us 60 months, some 55 and some of us 40 months. It varies from 8 to 60 months. The governor has never paid anybody gratuity since eight years ago. If we had not gone to court that means he would not have deemed it fit to pay a dime for eight years.”
Oyo State Government around March 2019 released the sum of One Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira (N1.5bn) as part payment of outstanding gratuity and pension arrears to retired primary school teachers and local government workers in the state.
Secretary of Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Comrade Segun Abatan however said that the N1.5 billion paid by the Ajimobi administration is a drop in the ocean of debt being owed pensioners in the state.
He said: “The government has started paying about N1.5 billion as kick-start even though we know it has not scratched the surface. You owe somebody N60 billion and you released N1.5 billion. 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.”
Secretary of Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Comrade Segun Abatan also criticized political office holders who award themselves life pensions after serving for just four years, saying workers should also be made to serve for four years and get life pensions, because it amounts to cheating and exploitation of the common people for the political class to serve for just four years and enjoy life pensions.
He said, “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.”