Osun retirees shut govt secretariat over non-payment of 30 months pension

Some pensioners in Osun State have shut the state government secretariat in Osogbo, the state capital to protest non-payment of their entitlements.

The protesters are those owed by former governor, Rauf Aregbesola under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

They were armed with placards displaying different inscriptions at the entrance of the Government Secretariat, Abeere, on Wednesday.

As of the time of filing this report, they denied vehicles to move in and out of the secretariat, chanting anti-government songs.

Some inscriptions on their placards read as follows “we are dying of hunger”, “Masses, help us we are dying”, “Dead people cannot enjoy infrastructure”, among others.

PREMIUM TIMES has repeatedly reported the travails of pensioners in the state and how former governor, Mr Aregbesola, received several bailout funds from the federal government. Still, he defaulted in payment of salaries and pensions of retirees.

The protesters said although Governor Gboyega Oyetola has begun to look into the plight of the deprived retirees, his efforts appear inadequate as they keep losing their colleagues to untimely death due to inability to secure good medical care.

Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to reach the state commissioner of information, Funke Egbemode, as of the time of this report was unsuccessful.

She did not respond to calls and text messages. Our correspondent learnt she’s currently attending stakeholders meeting on the aftermath of #EndSARS protests alongside other cabinet members of Mr Oyetola.