Osun pensioners begin 3-day protest

Pensioners in Osun state yesterday began a three day protest to press home demand for payment of their pensions and gratuities.
The pensioners in their hundreds gathered at Osun state Internally Displayed Pensioners (IDPs) camp at Ayetoro, and began the protest around 9.am.
They carried placards of various inscriptions such as “Rauf Aregbesola Should be Charged for Genocide, “No Fewer than 2,000 Pensioners Have Died as a Result of Nonpayment of Gratuities, “President Muhammadu Buhari: Save Osun People Now, “among others.
Chairman of the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the state, Prince Ganiyu Salawu, who spoke with newsmen, said the pensioners in the state were dying of hunger and starvation as a result of irregular payment of their entitlements.
He said no pensioner has been given the 33 per cent increase since it was implemented in 2010, while the 42 per cent that was paid for some time had also stopped.
The union noted that efforts to have a dialogue with the government had been futile as appointment booked with the governor since March has not been acknowledged despite about six reminders that followed the letter.
They noted that their protest was as a result of hunger and hardship being faced, saying their protest was devoid of any political colouration.