Politicians Behind Osun Pensioners’ Incessant Protests, Retirees’ Group Alleges

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Triangular Group, Osun State Chapter has called on politicians and some pensioners to stop using the issue of pensions and gratuity for political gains.

The Union said the protest staged by a faction of the union last week, was being politically motivated.

The Chairman, Triangular Group of Pensioners in the state, Prince Rotimi Adelugba, while addressing a press conference at Nigeria Union of Journalists, Press Centre, Osogbo, noted that the conference was organised to disclaim the claims of some few pensioners who took to the street to say pensioners are still owed up to May.

He stated that agitations by few pensioners was ill-planned, politically motivated and was meant to satisfy some politicians, quering that, why all their agitations planned towards election period.

Adelugba held that all pensioners have been paid their pension up to May, 2017 in line with the approved schedules.

‎He explained that the schedule for payment in the state was a reflection of the Memorandum of Understanding/ Agreement signed by both government and Labour of which NUP was not left out.

He attributed the backlog of gratuities to insensitivity of successive administrations in the state, lauding Aregbesola for revisiting the backlog for payments.

‎”The conference became necessary in order to let the general public know the position of our Group on the demonstration and the phantom lies peddled by the Omoniyi Ilesami’s led 2011/2012 Forum of Retirees.

“Permit me to make clear that The Triangular Group of Pensioners are bonafide members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, State of Osun who strongly believe in peace, dialogue and the welfare of pensioners in the state and have been doing everything within the law to make sure that pensioner’s welfare and interest is jealously guided.

“It is therefore very sad to wake up in the early hours of 29th, 30th of June to see a faction of retirees who took to the streets to demand for payment of pension arrears and gratuities.While we believe in the right to peaceful demonstration and unbiased demands from government, we equally condemned in its entirely the demonstration.

“We therefore disassociate our Group from the unwarranted demonstration which we believe is ill-planned, politically motivated and a bid to execute the minds of some politicians. Our Group wondered why the demonstration now that the bye election of Osun West Senatorial District election is near,” Adelugba concluded.