Politics
PENSIONERS in Osun State under the aegis of Forum of 2011/2012 Pensioners on Wednesday, July 19, staged a fresh protest to demand payment of the arrears of their pensions and gratuities.
The fresh protest came just a day after Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State confirmed that he had received N6.314bn as the second tranche of the Paris Club loan refund.
Omoniyi Ilesanmi, chairman of the forum, who led the protest, said the pensioners should be paid their entitlements from the refund. According to him the pensioners are being owed one-year full pension arrears and gratuities from 2008 to 2012.
Armed with placards with various inscriptions the pensioners sang anti-government songs and rained abuses on the governor as they stormed the State Civil Service Secretariat at Abere. The protesters blocked part of the road, but allowed workers and others to go in and out of the secretariat.
The government has deployed armed policemen and other security agents deployed to monitor the protest and ensure that law and order are maintained.
Nevertheless, the pensioners said no fewer than 2000 of their colleagues had died because they lacked money to feed and to procure medicaments for their ailments.
Ilesanmi promised that the pensioners would make the state ungovernable for the governor except he paid their entitlements.
— Jul 19, 2017 @ 12:30 GMT
Tags: chairman of the forum government Governor Rauf Aregbesola Omoniyi Ilesanmi Osun State Osun State Pensioners Stage Fresh Protest as State Receives N6.314bn Refund PENSIONERS
