Oyo pensioners to Ajimobi: Pay us our six months arrears

For hours on Wednesday, everything stood still at the Agodi Government House, Ibadan, Oyo State as pensioners protested the refusal of Governor Abiola Ajimobi to pay them six months pensions.
They also declared that the state government is owing retired primary school teachers between eight and 25 months arrears.
Operating under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and shouting ‘enough is enough’, they blocked the gate and it took the intervention of some security agents, appealing to them, to leave the gate.
Some of them were shouting that the way the governor is treating ‘elders’ (pensioners) is not in the interest of the South-West state.
The protesters were led by Mr. Gbade Akande who spoke on behalf of the state chairman of NUP, Alhaji Ganiyu Azeez.
Various placards with inscriptions such as ‘We reject NLC, TUC and Government MOU’, ‘Muhammadu Buhari, bail pensioners out before we die’, ‘Stop avoidable deaths’, ‘Please pay us immediately’ were conspicuously displayed.
The retired civil servants demanded, among others, “the immediate payment of January to June, 2015 pensions, payment of eight to 25 months pension to retired primary school teachers, an increase of fund to the Ministry of Establishment to pay gratuity and payment of gratuity to the retired teachers.
“Immediate implementation of six per cent and 15 per cent increase for retired local government staff, payment of arrears of six per cent and 15 per cent pension increase and immediate reinstatement of pensioners whose names were unjustifiably removed”.
To them, if Ajimobi could not cope with the financial burden, he should seek help from President Muhammadu Buhari “because they belong to the same party”.
The protesters declared that they would not leave the Government House until Ajimobi addresses them.
But Ajimobi was still in Abuja at the time of the protest.
Later, his deputy, Chief Moses Adeyemo, went to appeal to them to show understanding with the governor.
“As elders, I want to appeal to you to show understanding. This situation is not peculiar to Oyo State alone. My governor is still in Abuja with his colleagues, discussing with the President on way out of the financial crisis. Please, bear with us,” Adeyemo said.
The pensioners later dispersed and promised to return soon if their pensions are not paid on time.