Pensioners under the aegis of Triangular Group in Osun have commended the state government for the prompt payment of their pensions and gratuities.
Mr. Rotimi Adelugba, Chairman of the group, while addressing a news conference on Thursday in Osogbo, said the protest staged on Tuesday by a section of pensioners against alleged non-payment of pensions and gratuities was misleading.
Adelugba, who dissociated him group from the protest, said that the Governor Gboyega Oyetola-led administration had been paying their pension in full on a monthly basis.
He said the allegation that the state government had received the fourth tranche of Paris Club refund without paying pensioners was far from the truth.
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“The state government is very much committed to the payment of pensions and gratuities of retired civil servants and the Oyetola administration is not nonchalant to the plight and welfare of the senior citizens in the state.
“Some of our colleagues have collected their bonds, contrary to the claim of this set of pensioners,’’ Adelugba said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a group, comprising 2011/2012 pensioners had on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over the alleged non-payment of their pensions and gratuities by the state government.
They also accused Governor Oyetola of diverting the N6.3 billion naira Paris Club refund which, according to them, should have been used to settle pension arrears to other purposes.
The state government, in its reaction described the protest by the pensioners as shocking, adding that their claim was absolute falsehood.
Mr Adeshina Adeniyi, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, in a statement, said the state government had not received any refund from the Federal Government.
Adeniyi said that government had also been consistent in the payment of pension to retired civil servants in the state. (NAN)
