The Southwest caucus of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners has lambasted Governors of Ekiti, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states for owing pension arrears and putting pensioners through hardship.

It however hailed Governors of Lagos and Ondo States, Babajide Sanwo Olu and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for implementing the 33.4 percent pension increase.

The Southwest pensioners said it would take 34 years for the Ogun State government to pay the N68bn currently owed pensioners if it continued with the payment N500m quarterly to pensioners.

Public Relations Officer of the Southwest NUP, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, who spoke after their zonal meeting in Akure urged Southwest Governors to take matters of pensioners a matter of priority.

Comrade Abatan said Governor Akeredolu owed three months pension arrears.

Abatan urged Akeredolu to pay three months of pension arrears as well as gratuities.

He said Osun State owed 39 months of half pension payment and cautioned against favouritism and irregularities in the payment of gratuities in Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti.

Abatan urged all Southwest governors to commence implementation of the recently approved consequential adjustment and increase in pension to reflect the new National Minimum Wage.

“Most of our governors in Nigeria are lazy, they are not creative; they just relax and expect only funds from federation allocation. They cannot devise means of generating revenues, they can’t adjust their flamboyant lifestyle, reduce the number of their appointees to enable them to attend to the needs of elderly pensioners who are suffering.

“We urge our governors in the southwest to implement the consequential adjustment and increase in pension to reflect the new National Minimum Wage. Our retirees are suffering, some even go home with as little as N600 per month.

“We also appeal to our governors to exclude pensioners from percentage monthly salary payment. Let our members get their full pensions. It is not good enough,” Abatan said. (The Nation)

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