The State of Osun Triangular Group of Pensioners has dissociated themselves from the ongoing protests against the government of Mr Gboyega Oyetola for non-payment of their pensions and gratuities for 15 months.
The group of pensioners confirmed that the state government is forthcoming in the payment of their pension and gratuity.
According to the pensioners, Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s administration has been paying their pensions and other wages in full every month.
The pensioners who addressed the press on Wednesday in Osogbo under the aegis of Triangular Group of Pensioners dissociated themselves from some of the 2011/2012 pensioners who alleged that the government was owing to them pension and gratuity.
The group led by Prince Rotimi Adelugba, the pensioners refuted the claim of the protesting pensioners that the government had received and diverted the 4th tranche of the Paris Club Refund, describing it as far from the truth.
A press text read by Adelugba reads in part:
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“Since the current administration assumed office over six months ago, it has ensured full payment of our monthly pension and wages to all levels as at when due in line with its promise, and subject to the release of allocations from the Federal Government.
“The state government is very much committed to the payment of pension and gratuity of retired workers in the state civil service, and the Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s administration is not nonchalant to the plight and welfare of the senior citizens of the state.
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“Some of our colleagues have collected their bonds, contrary to the claim of this set of pensioners.”
It would be recalled that the state government had in February 2018 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 N1.2bn for such purpose.
The Head of Service, Dr Oyebade Olowogboyega presented cheques containing different amount of money to the pensioners.
According to Olowogboyega, of the N1.2bn, a sum of N200m was used to paid gratuity while additional N200million was added in March 2018 for the payment of gratuity as well, making the total sum N400m for gratuity payment.
Also in May last year, a total sum of N200m was released for the payment of gratuities to retired officers on the old pension scheme and another sum of N100million for the payment of contributory pensioners totalling 720.
In the same May 2018, the government released a sum of N1.8bn bond to the retired workers under the Contributory Pension Scheme in the state, in which 171 retired officers and 39 retired workers from the local government received their bond certificates totalling N1.6bn and N200m respectively.
www.sojworld.com (c) June 27, 2019
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