Members of the Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioner on Thursday continued with their protest over the alleged non-payment of their gratuities and pensions by the state government.
Hundreds of aged pensioners marched from the Ola Iya Junction to the State Civil Service Secretariat which is almost five kilometres away.
Some protesters with walking sticks were not deterred by the distance as they booed and jeered at the occupants of campaign vehicles of the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the coming election in the state.
The protesting pensioners brought out their permanent voter cards and pointed them at the secretariat, saying they would use the cards to vote against the ruling party.
Armed policemen were deployed to guide the protesters to ensure that their protest was not hijacked by hoodlums.
Security at the entrance of the secretariat was also beefed up as some armed policemen were seen on guard with their patrol vehicles parked at the entrance of the secretariat.
The protesters likened the governor to King Nebucadnezer who refused to acknowledge God, but said they would not relent in demanding for the entitlements until the government paid them in full.
The Secretary of the Forum of 2011/2012 Retirees, Mr Sola Olojede, said, “The state government paid N100,000 gratuities to some workers out of about N5m each of them was entitled to.
“ The governor owes us 17 months pension. This is half pension of 34 months. You all know that they have been paying us half of our pensions since September 2015. So it will be wicked of any of them to say we are not being owed.”
One of the leaders of the pensioners , Alhaji Yemi Lawal, said the government had not been sensitive to the plight of workers and pensioners.
