Osun retirees urge Oyetola to probe Aregbesola over alleged mismanagement

Aggrieved pensioners in Osun State have asked the state governor, Gboyega Oyetola, to drag his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola, the current Minister of Interior, before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly mismanaging their contributory pension funds.

The retirees made this request while protesting the inability of the state government to pay their entitlements, including gratuities, pensions and outstanding half salary arrears of over 15 months.

The protesting pensioners stormed the state government secretariat in Osogbo, yesterday, displaying placards with varying inscriptions amid anti-government songs to drive home their grievances.

The senior citizens, under the Contributory Pension Scheme, including retired primary and secondary school teachers, while addressing the state Deputy Governor, Benedict Alabi, at the state government secretariat, demanded the probe of how their pension fund and the bailout fund released to the Aregbesola-led administration were expended.

The retirees said the current administration of Governor Oyetola had been blaming the immediate past government for its inability to offset their entitlements, stressing that if Aregbesola belonged to another party, Oyetola would have commenced investigation into what happened to the Contributory Pension Scheme of the retired workers since 2016.

They urged the state government to investigate why pensions, gratuities and outstanding half salary arrears were not paid despite the bailout from the Federal Government.

Speaking on behalf of the protesting group and specifically addressing the deputy governor after he appealed to the pensioners for understanding, Mrs Salami Bamidele, said there was need for a probe since Oyetola claimed it inherited the unpaid entitlements.

“From the way you (deputy governor) talked, I can see that you don’t have regard for us. If you truly prioritised us and know that we are hungry since last December that we have been protesting, the money we are getting should have been improved upon.

“You are claiming that you have paid our money but it is a lie. You are releasing N708 million monthly for pensioners but what gets to us that are under Contributory Pension Scheme is very little compared to our population. We met the governor in July 2021 because the money is not enough and he promised us that he will improve on it. We did not see any difference as the government continued to give us N150 million in March and April which is not even every month.”

“2016 retirees who have not collected anything are about 600. The recent money that they released, only 76 of us benefited from it. We are dying, battling with sickness of different kinds.

Addressing the pensioners, Osun State Deputy Governor, Benedict Alabi, appealed to them to exercise patience, saying the government was working tirelessly to ensure they all get their pension.

Alabi said: “We are ensuring that we are paying full salary promptly. The truth will always be true and false will be false. This money in question (pensioners’ entitlements), we cannot pay at once.

“You are very important to us and we are handling your matter as a priority. We don’t like the way you are under the scorching sun, it is not good enough for you and us.”