-Renew agitation for unpaid N40billion gratuities
Sola POPOOLA
The Ekiti State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners,(NUP) held 2023 edition of its Interdenominational prayer requesting God to use them as instruments of positive change in Nigeria to elect incorruptible leaders in the forthcoming General Election.
The senior citizens, while decrying their deplorable situation said they are still being owed over 40billion naira unpaid gratuities .
The Ekiti State Chairman of the NUP, Comrade Joel Akinola in his address at the occasion sought God’s intervention in the matter.
He lamented that his members now live in abject poverty praying that God should touch the heart of Governor Biodun Oyebanji address their plight .
Speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, on Thursday, the Chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Joel Akinola, said pensioners in the state began 2023 with absolute supplication to God Almighty.
The pensioners also acknowledged the brace and ambitious move by governor Biodun Oyebanji to defray the backlog of arrears of pensions and gratuity.
“We know that this is the beginning of a New Year and if you recall that year 2022 has been a wonderful year full of miseries and disappointments. For pensioners in Ekiti State, we want to let the year 2022 go and start the New Year 2023 with absolute supplication to God Almighty.
“We are starting this year as pensioners, as old people, as retirees hapless and helpless individuals, that we should call on God to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria, especially this is an election year. We want God to intervene and use us to choose for us good leaders that will make life worth living, not only to citizens but pensioners in particular.
“We want God to bring incorruptible leaders that are not selfish, God fearing, that have the interest of the masses at heart, not their own selfish interest but the interest of the citizens of this country.
“We pensioners want to pray to God for us to enjoy good health. We need God to intervene to give us strength. God should see to our welfare because we recorded a lot of deaths last year. We want to live and enjoy the fruits of our labour.” Akinola said
Akinola disclosed that ” governor said that he will constitute a committee to address this issue of gratuity and immediately he did that. We are working all modalities that will be put in place towards liquidating the 40billion arrears of unpaid gratuities to our members and the progress so far has been okay. We want to exercise patience and we have been given the open hands.
“The governor is responsive and anxious that these arrears of unpaid gratuities are liquidated. We presented him our demands which are unpaid arrears of pensions, three months for state pensioners, seven months for Local Government pensioners, unpaid gratuities, Local Government pensioners were paid last in 2012, state pensioners were paid last in 2013 and that made the gratuity to accrue to 40b naira.
“In the case of arrears of unpaid pensions, we are still pressing on government. “