…Say, ‘We’re Dying One After The Other
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Kwara State pensioneers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, have called on the Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration to set aside a special fund to pay their ourstanding gratuities.
The pensioneers who are aged and battling with one form of old age and terminal sickness or the other, were of late said to be dying constantly for lack of money to buy their needed medications.
They lamented the alleged unpaid gratuity arrears and outstanding monthly pensions.
They, at a press conference in Ilorin, said that the Kwara State Pensions Board, KWSPB, and the Local Government Staff Pensions Board, LGSPB, had not paid their gratuities and arrears of pensions which the immediate past government owed them for many years.
In a statement signed by the state Chairman and Secretary of NUP, Comrades Saidu Oladimeji and Abraham Gana respectively, the pensioners condemned what they described as a piece-meal monthly payment of pensions by the two pension paying institutions; saying that the impact of the paying arrangement on the pensioners is simply that of suffering and gradual death.
Pleading with Governor AbdulRazaq to heed their calls, they pointeu out that they would heave a sigh of relief if he (the governor) could, with the milk of kindness flowing in his veins, acceed to their request and pay, adding that his name would be etched in gold and that they would make sure that even children yet unborn would know about his goodness.
They demanded that the state governor should please for instance, specifically set aside a substantial amount of money every month for the payment of these outstanding gratuities to pensioners.
They said, “The NUP is using this forum to appeal to Governor Abdulrazaq, with all sense of respect; to borrow a leaf from the good experience in some states like Borno, Lagos and Osun, where collosal funds were set aside for the payment of outstanding gratuities to pensioners.
“The settlement in these states had brought good omen on to the living conditions of the old ages who are the beneficiaries of this payment and thus, impacted positively on their lives and its possitive bearings on their contributions and the overall economic status of these these noble states.
“The Central Working Committee, CWC, of the NUP rose from its weekly meeting with the passage of the words of encomiums on the Kwara State governor, Mallam Abdulrazaq, and all the members of Association of Local Government Chairmen, under the umbrella of ALGON, Kwara State branch for the approval they got the during the Kwara State November 2021 Statutory Local Government Fund Allocation Meeting.
“The integration for the monthly payment of year 2010; 20 per cent salary increase harmonisation into the monthly wage-bill to all benefitting local government/local government education areas pensioners, who have retired from service ahead of May 1, 2010 in the state is very much appreciated.
They added, “It particularly gladdened the heartss of all the affected members of the union that this comes at a time when it preceded the impending year 2019 salary increase and the consequential adjustment which is currently under consideration for implementation in Kwara State.
“The Kwara State branch of the NUP gives kudo to the Kwara State government for its magnanimity for this good and timely decision.
“Governor Abdulrazaq is being commended for the regular payment of pensioners’ monthly stipends. It is on record that since the inception of the present administration, pensioners in Kwara State both at the state and local government levels have been receiving their monthly pension and as at when due.”
The Kwara NUP therefore urged the present administration to continue in the same manner.
