Retired workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Ondo State, on Tuesday, protested over the non-payment of their arrears and pension allowances.
The workers, who claimed to be senior citizens of the country, gathered at the governor’s office with placards and demanded the payment of all their pension benefits.
They carried placards with different inscriptions bearing- “Pay Our 3 Months Arrears,” “We Are dying of Hunger and Starvation, Save Our Soul, ” and “We Are Oil Producing State, Why Owing Us our Entitlements?”
Speaking, Akin Adubuola, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, in Akure South Local Government Area of the state, said their members were being abandoned with their old age, despite serving the government in all capacity.
Adubola disclosed that the state government owned the pensioners five years arrears, including three months of allowances and gratuities.
He appealed to the state government to come to the rescue of the union’s members by paying them all their entitlements so as to put an end to the endless spate of sudden deaths, prolonged sicknesses and suffering due to the resultant, psychological effects of their outstanding arrears and other hanging entitlements.
Also speaking, Mr. Femi Odere and Deaconess Mary Abiola, repeatedly begged governor Mimiko to have compassion on the protesting pensioners, noting that many of them had died of hunger and frustration.
“It is ungodly to maltreat the old folks in such inhumane treatment. We have served the government in all capacity with the best of our ability”, they said.
Dayo Fadahunsi, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Mimiko on Union matters, who addressed the protesting pensioners, said the delay in their allowance was the result of the financial crisis that befell the nation.
Fadahunsi reiterated the commitment of the state government to the welfare of its citizens, mostly retired workers and acknowledged to table their grievance before the governor.
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