A Journalist who retired from the services of Lagos Television/Radio Lagos/EKO FM on Tuesday appealed to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to pay their terminal benefits which had been lingering since 2017.

Former Secretary, of the Lagos State Council of the NUJ, Mr Biodun Akinbusuyi, made the appeal in a statement issued in Ikeja.

He said the file for the bailout fund in which be entitlements had been computed by the state’s pension commission was on the governor’s table.

“What is required is for the governor to append his signature for payment to be effected.

“In September 2021, the Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions, Mrs Ajibola Ponle, held a meeting with the retirees.

“At the meeting, she promised that the terminal benefits would be paid before 2021 Christmas, but the pledge was not honoured,’’ Akinbusuyi stated.

He stressed, however, that the fault was not Sanwo-Olu’s.

“What Sanwo-Olu would be doing was to assist LTV/Radio Lagos/EKO FM with a bailout which had been computed by the Lagos State Pensions Commission,’’ Akinbusuyi who retired from the service in 2018 added.

He noted that colleagues of the retirees who left the state’s Ministry of Information in 2017 and in 2018 had been enjoying their terminal benefits.

He noted also that the state government had also begun payment for 2019 retirees.

He urged “Gov. Sanwo-Olu to take a more humane look at the plight of retired journalists of LTV/Radio Lagos/Eko FM, so they would not die in poverty.

“About 15 retired journalists have died since 2017 due to paucity of funds to take care of their health challenges in retirement.’’

Akinbusuyi said five of the retired journalists were nursing various health ailments, while those who live in rented apartments had been served quit notices.

“They are living on borrowed time,’’ he lamented.

(NAN)