The Forum of 2011/2012 Retired Public Servants of Osun State branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has given the reason why it organised the recent Internally Displaced Pensioners (IDPs) Camp for its members.

The forum also denied that the setting up of the camp was politically motivated as being claimed by some people it referred to as “enemies of pensioners in the state”, stating that that was why no politicians bothered to visit the camp. The pensioners also said that they could not continue with the camp due to a security report that the state government and its agents were coming with “their political thugs, popularly known as State Boys, to attack the gathering as they did in July 7th, 2015.”

The Forum made these known in a press release issued by Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi (Chairman), Comrade Sola Olojede (Secretary) and Comrade Yemi Lawal (Leader), was made available to journalists in Osogbo, the state capital, on Thursday. The Forum disclosed that no fewer than 1,468 pensioners in the state had lost their lives while waiting for their statutory emoluments owed by the state government.

According to the statement, “There are many wrong insinuations and falsehood being peddling around by the government of Osun State under the watch of Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.

“It is incredible to hear the Governor that he does not owe pension or salary of pensioners and workers after the payment of December, 2016 half payment. It is against this backdrop that we want to put the record straight on our grouse against the insensitivity of the present administration to the pensioners’ plights and sufferings.”

The group claimed: “Between 2008 and 2012, Osun State government owed pensioners in the state, about N22 billion as gratuities till today. We have received between July 2015 and December, 2016, the half of our monthly statutory pensions. The Government of Osun is using the sum of N520 million to pay our full monthly pension and by calculation, the government is owing us complete nine months pension (18 months halves).As at today, Osun State Government owed us N4.7 billion as pension arrears.

Then, the total indebtedness of Osun State government to retirees in the state amounted to N26.7 billion.”

The group further stated that no fewer than 500 members of the retirees were on their sick beds without having money to buy drugs for their ailments, while many of their children have been sent out of schools due to their parents’ inability to pay their school fees.

It added that, some of their members have been ejected from their rented houses due to non-payment of accumulated rents, which made them to be living like lunatics in uncompleted and dilapidated buildings across the State as a result of non-payment of their gratuities and pension arrears by the state government.

The statement noted that the only solution to the present imbroglio between the pensioners and the state government was for the government to commence immediate payment of their gratuities and nine months pension arrears which were their constitutional rights, otherwise, they would continue with their agitations.

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