By HABEEBAT AJAYI
In response to the attempt of ogun state Local Government (LG) pensioners to stage a peaceful protest to the Governors Office the State government through the Chief Security Officer to the Governor shut the gate to the State Secretariat.
The Pensioners had earlier gathered this morning at around decided to protest following the government’s refusal to hear their cry of changing its earlier agreement with the joint Commitee of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress on paying outstanding gratituties and pensioners in the State.
It would be recalled that the state government and joint Labour Union Commitee of the Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had signed a Memorandum of understanding (MOU) that the State government will pay 500 million naira quaterly to offset the outstanding gratituties and pensions.
The local government pensioners refuted this plan saying they were not consulted when MOU was signed and that it will take 34 years to pay the 68 billion naira pensioners in the State are old by the State government with the plan and that it may even take 50 years to achieve as people are retiring every year.
The pensioners also said all Letters written to the State Governor to state their concerns and their other demands which according them are 12 in number have not been responded to, saying that was the reason for their protest.
The pensioners armed with placards carrying inscriptions like “Governor Abiodun stop sendind our members to our early graves, due to starvation, Governor Dapo abiodun follow Governors of Ondo, Oyo, Kaduna, Borno and lagos to imorove the welfare of pensioners in Ogun State and many more stormed the Ogun State Secretariat.
On sighting them security mounted at the gate of the State Secretariat locked the gate and stopped them from gaining entrance into the premises.
It was observed by this reporter that attempts by the Pensioners to speak to the security men to allow them enter fell on deaf ears as the security men were heard saying that they were acting on the orders of the Chief Security Officer to the Governor.
when speaking to the journalist at the scene of the protest The Chairman of the National Association of Local government pensioners, Ogun State chapter, Chief Sikiru Ayilara said
” We wanted to stage peaceful protest and we introduce ourselves to them, we don’t have Cutlass, we don’t have ordinary stick in our hands, we just one to make the people know the treatment being melted to us as pensioners in this state, the two security Officers at the gate stopped us, I already called the Chief Security Officer of the Governor, the CSO said I should give him only five minutes and he will call me back and am telling them that we are only herw for a peaceful protest.
The type of suffering we are experiencing from this and the previous administration is too much, I am even soliciting that they give us security men to lead us to the second gate to were we are now.
I must tell you now that the Commandant of the 35th Artillery Brigade, Alamala knows about this our protest,the Commissioner of Police is aware,the Commandant Civil Defence even the DSS. Knows about it.
We have also written all the four Paramount Rulers in the State all of them are aware of our protest of today.
We had broadcasted on Radio and also published it on newspapers last Saturday, we have done all this he didn’t look at our side after writing to him after 12 letters, I personally handed the tenth letter to him at the arcade, we sent the eighth letter through the wife to him, he didn’t respond, we had meetings with some his Commissioners and the house SSG they only made promises.
That was how the former Governor decieved us for complete eight years, is it not ridiculous that he inherited 68 billion naira is now planning to spread for 34 years, by the time he leaves they would spread for 50 years, would he be alive, would I alive, we don’t want that deceit and I must confess to you this is the beginning of the protest because he who ever oppresses the agent ridicules his Creator and out Creator would fight for us”.
