Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (second left) flanked by his Deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo (right), the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 11, Mr. David Oluwafemi Omojola (second right) and the Oyo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Muhammed Indabawa (left) during a courtesy call on the governor by the AIG at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan on Monday.
…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan…
Pensioners in Oyo State on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, the
state capital, alleging non payment of their December pension, a development
which they claimed had thrown many of them into avoidable embarrassment and
shame.
But the protesters exempted the state governor, Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi from the
blames over non payment of the pension while anchoring the blame on government
officials and on one of the commercial banks being used for payment of
their pension.
The pensioners, carrying placards displaying various messages depicting
their anger and frustration, initially stormed Governor’s office at the Secretariat where
a security officer appealed to them before they headed for the office of the state
pension board and that of the state Commissioner for Finance as well as the Accountant
General, all located within the State Secretariat complex.
They pleaded with the governor to intervene in their
plight and see to the end to the delay in the payment of their pension.
Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP),
Alhaji Azeez Biiyawo told newsmen that despite the fact that the
Governor had signed all papers relating to the payment of their pension,
some government officials are allegedly conniving with the bank saddled
with the responsibility of paying them to delay payment.
He said: “It has been their practice. Governor Ajimobi will sign all
papers relating to payment of our pension on the twentieth or before the
end of the month but some government officials will connive with the banks
to ensure that the payment is delay. At least they have done that for
almost four months now and this December while all the civil servants have
received their salary for the month, our meager pension is yet to be paid
despite the fact that the governor signed our papers and that of the civil
servants the same time to ensure that we receive our December salary on
time. Now we are being pushed from one end to the other. Today is the last
working day of the month and there is no hope.”
NUP Administrative Secretary, Comrade Olusegun Abatan who also led the
pensioners in the protest, equally expressed similar sentiments , urging
the governor to intervene.Abatan who spoke on behalf the pensioners at the
state pension board, specifically asked for the replacement of one of the
two banks(Skye) with another bank for the payment of their pension.
A member of the state pension board, Apostle Samson Aderounmu however said
government is looking to the grievances of the pensioners particularly
their call for the replacement of the bank causing the delay in the payment
of their pension. A one time NUP state chairman and who is also member of
the state pension board, Alhaji Lateef Adegoke assured the aggrieved
pensioners that all efforts were being made as at press time to see that
the problem relating to the delay in the payment of the pension were
resolved.
The pensioners were however yet to receive the December pension as at press
time, despite the promises.