Groaning Osun Pensioners Take To The Streets In Protest, Demanding 30 Months Outstanding Pensions In Ile-Ife
The Oasis Reporters
July 3, 2020
Osun State pensioners took to the streets of Ile-Ife, South West Nigeria in protest to sensitize the government and people of the State over their plight, due to the government’s inability to pay their entitlements to them.
Many of them carrying placards with different inscriptions imploring the government of Chief Gboyega Oyetola to pay up, marched round the ancient city, chanting songs and talking about many of their colleagues who had passed on due to the hardship without having funds to afford health care. One distinguishing feature observed on the old men and women, were their weather beaten footwear and clothes they were putting on.
They felt they could take it no longer, and chose July 1, 2020 to troop out and indicate their plight, in the city, regarded as the spiritual home of all Yorubas, world wide.
Our correspondent in Osun State, spoke to a retired teacher among the demonstrators, Alhaji Fatai, who believes that the Osun State governor, Alhaji Oyetola “could have avoided this but it is still not too late to take responsibility. Pensioners who received no money for 5 years are human beings too. They patronise the same markets that Mr Governor uses but the difference is one will come back home empty handed and the other would have his truck filled.
“Your Excellency, please have empathy, sympathy and above all compassion for the pensioners”, he added further.
A public affairs commentator reveals that Osun people who believe so much in the efficacy of prayers as Christians, Muslims and traditional religious worshippers like practically all Osun pensioners, may want to pray that the Governor would find the money and pay them, rather than for him to concentrate on constructing roads when they have no food to eat.
Akintunde Bello reporting.
