The Controversy Surrounding Payment of Pensions & Gratuities Shows Abiodun’s insensitivity to the elderly – Otegbeye
Bidemi Alabi
The gubernatorial candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ogun State, Barrister Biyi Otegbeye has said that the controversy surrounding the payment of pensions and gratuities has shown that the Governor, Dapo Abiodun is not sincere about the welfare of the elders. This was stated by the media office of Otegbeye in a statement which was made available to NigerianEcho.
Governor Dapo Abiodun was presenting, what was supposed to be facts concerning his administration’s payment of pensions and gratuities to retirees in the state at the Town Hall meeting on the 2023- 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework of his administration (MTEF) and the 2023 Budget held in Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday, 18th October 2022. While speaking at the event, Abiodun announced that over N70 billion has been released for the payment of gratuity arrears of pensioners since his administration was inaugurated in 2019.
As it turned out, the Governor might have twisted the facts as the pensioners contradicted him saying it was an orchestrated attempt to deceive members of the public.
“Confirming suspicion about N70 billion figure that was shamelessly released by the drowning governor, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Ogun State Council, in a Press Release duly signed by the Chairman of the Council, Comrade Waidi Oloyede, and State PRO, Comrade Segun Obadimu, said the administration has paid only N3 billion so far as gratuity, a sum which was not even enough to cover the gratuity of all the retirees during his tenure, from May 29, 2019 till date.
“On the payment of pensions, the Council disclosed that “many pensioners received the September 2022 pensions on the 18th October, 2022, and do not know when that of October, 2022 will come”, the statement noted.
Otegbeye said he feels the pain of pensioners, many of whom have died as a result of the ineptitude and irresponsibility of the current administration in our dear state.
“The interests of the governed should be the whole essence of governance. A government that fails to take this into consideration but rather pursues the selfish agenda of the dramatis personae in government is not fit to rule. Such a government deserves to be swept away by the glaring tide of cry and dissatisfaction in the land.
“We cannot but laugh at the governor working on his administration’s 2023-25 Medium Term Expenditure Framework. Such endeavour is an exercise in futility as Ogun People are not prepared to allow him in office beyond 29th May 2023.
“With Governor Dapo Abiodun twisting facts, it can be concluded that he has no intention or plan to lift the conditions of pensioners in the state but continue to cover up his shortcomings.
“The ADC administration, when elected into power and inaugurated on May 29, 2023, will usher in an administration with the milk of human kindness which the current administration of Dapo Abiodun lacks”, the statement concluded.
