Oyetola might Kill more Pensioners in Osun State
These are true life stories!!!
Two situations from variant scenes in one locality which involved 2 families.
ONE is a pensioner with the Osun State government, a Male. He had lost his wife and before retirement and remarried a semi literate Wife who is an artisan. They were surviving on the couple savings until there was nothing left.
The Husband had once suffered a health crisis which resulted to partial stroke but he survived it and became normal again. He has been unable to meet up with his family obligations but the Wife was covering the lose ends on the home fronts from her tailoring venture. The Husband fell sick again, and after awhile the Wife became sick too due to depression because both Husband and Wife could no longer meet up with the home upkeeps. They are incapacitated due to sickness. A quack health vendor was invited to attend to the husband and wife at home. The auxiliary nurse set drips separately for the couple inside their parlour. They are lucky to respond to treatment. The nurse was treating them out of compassion for free. She required to buy some solutions along the line which she wanted to mix with the drip. This will cost #2000. The Nurse could not help further and the sick couple pensioner had no 2 kobo let alone #2,000. At this stage, the Husband cried profusely in the chair where he was confounded getting the treatment. He borrowed airtime from mtn so as to be able to call their Leader of the forum of pensioners in the LG. He hinted that he was sick and may die but pleaded that he was yet to bargain for death. The leader of the pensioners rushed down immediately and somehow they raised #2000. Interestingly the Man and his Wife survived. However they remain in depression as they battle with the problem of feeding till date. This was a Man who served Osun State government for 35 years, he was a breadwinner before his own government started to fail him. He retired in 2016 and since then, he has not earned #1 of his entitlements in pension and gratuity for over 4 years. He contributed his share of his own entitlements while he was in service out of his own sweat. However, the Osun State government failed to remit its own counterpart fund and the part payment contributed by the man may have been used by the same government that failed to offset its own legitimate obligation to the Man.
Is the system fair to this retired government worker? Is Governor Oyetola fair, humane and kind to him? Be the judge as he lives a life of no hope. Some of his children have dropped out of school too.
Scene TWO :
He is a retired Teacher. Highly contented but socially flamboyant. So he had no savings even before retirement. He did not own a car but he managed to own a worn out motorcycle. He has good health as he leave no room for thinking. But life is difficult to live for him since he has dependents including an aged mother who lives with him. One day he woke up with nothing in his pocket for the family to feed. He struggled and hustled to no avail and unbelievably, the entire family went to bed after spending a whole day without eating anything. He was hardworking teacher of his time while in service but the hard work does not help him today. By midnight, it was like the world was coming to an end when hunger started to bite. He cried all night seeing his aged mother weeping for bed. Before dawn, he disturbed as many close people as possible over the phone for a help. After calling about 6 people, he received an assurance from one person that he can come in the morning for a life saving bailout. By morning, he rushed to his motorcycle as he tried to set out. Alas, there is no fuel in the carcass. He self tolled his motorcycle for a distance not less than hilly and sloppy 9km before he could get to a familiar place where he begged for #100 and he bought PMS worth of #100. He traveled to meet his helper. Luckily that man was there for his friend. He dashed him #9,000. His joy went overboard because of #9,000 and he was profusely crying in appreciation. The man turned to a beggar just because the government of Osun State that he served till he turned 60 years is not there for him.
The government refuses to pay his dues and life is now a scavenge. As soon as he left his helper, do not forget he last ate for more than 24 hours. It was getting to the mid day of the second day since he ate. He rushed to a road side food vendor and delivered himself of his immediate hunger. He bought more petrol and headed to the market. He bought basic raw foods that his about remaining #8000 can take. He was having #3000 left on him and he drove home. As he arrived, from afar the Wife saw that he packed some things in the sack. She was relieved. After offloading, he begged the wife for an understanding due to his present predicament of not being a dutiful husband. The wife was losing strength after almost 48 hours hunger strike. She could not cook but the husband was their chef on the fateful afternoon. He cooked and they ate. He gave #1000 to his aged mother to keep for her needs. He parted with the remaining #2000 for his wife leaving the man with no kobo again. But they had some raw foods now. They are however thanking God that they have good health.
This is the life that an average pensioner lives in Osun State of today under Governor Oyetola. Is the government proud seeing its senior citizens languish and languishing like this?
Now that the FG has pardoned states to have a stop in their loans repayment for the next 1 year, it is important to appeal to Gboyega Oyetola to consider some help for our pensioners especially those on contributory pension scheme who have no benefits enjoyed under the government for close to 5 years.
Can’t the Governor take a loan if that is what will give our pensioners in Osun their lost relief? What about if the state government sell the needless aircraft purchased by the immediate past administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola to settle the piled up pension and gratuity arrears?
May God touch the heart of Governor Gboyega Oyetola and that of his cabinet to have mercy on the retired civil servants on contributory pension scheme that has been abandoned since 2016.
Akintunde Bello Sheriff ABS, is an Osun based Advocate and Rights Activist.
Oyetola vs Pensioners in Osun.
