The Nigerian Universities’ Pensioners Association (NUPA), Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti chapter, has appealed to the government to revisit the issue of outstanding gratuities of its members with a view to offset it.

The Association lamented that its members had faced untold hardship over what it described as the government’s neglect and insensitivity to members’ plight.

Making its position known on Tuesday, through NUPA EKSU Chairman, Chief Samuel Bamidele Akinwale, the association also decried non-payment of pensions since May 2022 due to ASUU’s strike.

The retirees also appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi and EKSU management to persuade the Academic Staff Union of University, EKSU chapter,to suspend its industrial action for swift payment of their five months’ pension arrears.

They regretted that many of their members have gone into their early graves in the last 15 years due to undue sufferings and neglect occasioned by the inability of the university to defray their gratuities as and when due.

The pensioners appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to increase monthly subvention to the university, while urging the Vice Chancellor, Prof Eddy Olanipekun, to embark on aggressive internally generated revenue drives to fund the institution.

Akinwale said: “All our members are being owed five months’ pensions from May 2022 to date due to what we are made to know as the ongoing ASUU strike in the university.

“We are calling on the Ekiti State government to intervene in this matter by bailing out the university through a special fund, which may likely save our people from going to their early graves.

“Pensioners are not on strike, but in retirement and should not be made to bear undue punishment because a particular union is on strike.

“We want to appeal to the State government who owns EKSU to direct the striking lecturers to call off their strike, so that life will return to that university.

“We are stating this because ASUU in several states nationwide have called off their strike while ASUU in some states universities didn’t participate in the strike at all, including Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti.

“We call on the state government to increase funding, particularly monthly subvention to EKSU. Stakeholders, alumni, staff, pensioners should also sit up in providing a roadmap for the prosperity of the institution in the area of revenue generation,” he added.

Speaking further on the inability of the institution to discharge responsibilities to retirees, Akinwale added that many of those who retired 15 years ago only received a quarter of their gratuities, describing this as wicked and insensitive.

“If someone retires in 2007 and just a quarter of his gratuity was paid, I don’t really know whether the balance will be paid to him in the grave, while some have not been paid at all,” he said.

Suggesting how the university can wriggle out of the present financial conundrum, the pensioners said: “The University can create a special account where pensions can be kept for disbursement to our members, while also embarking on money yielding ventures to increase available funds.

“Several of our members have died. It appears our leaders are wicked. If they are not wicked, they should allow old people to live good lives because the present situation is pitiable,” he explained. (Daily Independent)