‎About two senior citizens of Ogun State were reportedly slumped yesterday while protesting non-payment of their two months pension arrears and gratitude of five years.

The pensioners who took the battle to the door step of Mr Adewale Osinowo, the Honourable commissioner of finance, Ogun State.

The pensioners who retired from local government across the state, stormed the commissioner’s office at about 12.00pm in hundreds and locked the two ‎iron gates leading to the commissioner’s office, when they suspected that, he wanted to sneaked away.

The picketing of the office located at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta deprived those going inside and coming out to have access of a way out, while official activities had to be suspended for hours.

The aggrieved retirees were seen manning the two gates, which they locked up, insisting that they would not leave until when the Commissioner come out to address them and attend to payment of their outstanding pension.

However, the Commissioner after keeping in door for about 30 minutes, with the hope that the pensioners would be frustrated, had to come out realising that, the pensioners meant action, having locked up all workers, and prevented access in and out of the office.

The Commissioner on coming out descended verbally on journalists on sighting them, with declaration and threat that he would smash all cameras, if any shot was taken, but the pensioners shouted him down over the threat to journalist.

He later begged the pensioners to engage him in a closed door meeting with their executive which lasted for hours. But as the meeting was ongoing two pensioners, Mrs Comfort Dosunmu and Mr Joseph waiting endlessly outside alongside other members fainted and quickly attended to by their colleagues pouring water on them to revive the duo.

The Chairman of the Local Government Pensioners, Sikiru Ayilara said, ‘we are here today on behalf of ourselves and all local government Pensioners and our families to demand for our May and June pensions, which you have refused to remit to our Bureau for payment.’

He pointed out that, in law the administration and payment of pension are not vested to any office or Ministry (Accountant-General or Commissioner), but argued that since the Commissioner was known to be close to the Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, he has allow the governor to hijack the control of the Bureau.

‘We have not enjoyed our life as pensioners in Ogun State. It has been one destructive policy or the other even to withhold our pensions now for two months. Whereas, state government has not been contributing its own statutory contribution to our pension fund’.

Ayilara said following the alleged maltreatment against the association, sixty of the members have lost their lives, because of non-payment of their meagre pension, which he noted would have been used to save them from untimely deaths.

‘You want us to believe that you designed your policies to kill us so as to reduce pension bill. If so, God is there to judge, the blood shedding. Don’t forget that pension is a right and evils that you do will live with them and after them, moreso, evil to the aged’, he stated.

The pensioners’ boss also disclosed that aside from the outstanding two months pension, the state has since 2011 not pay gratuity, stressing further that, the government was also fond of rolling over a month salary advance on pension payment.

‘You know you have not paid any gratuity to us since, and you start to deny us our monthly pensions which had never happened before you become commissioner’, he added.

Speaking to journalists after the closed door meeting with the pensioners’ leadership, the Finance Commissioner said the protest of the pensioners was born out of what he called communication gap between them and government.

He said the money in contention had been paid since Wednesday, but accused banks management, which he failed to disclose as responsible for the delay in posting payment to the accounts of the affected pensioners.

Osinowo said he had pleaded with the pensioners to give him another 24 hours to address the problem, with assurance that, the payment would be effected in various accounts.

The Pensioners’ Chairman, Sikiru Ayilara in his own reaction after the meeting, said the association has resolved to give the commissioner the benefit of doubt, explaining that, if the pledge failed, the body would take another action to fight their course.

Ayilara said, as a result of the commissioner’s pledge, other planned protest to the Alake of Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo has been temporarily suspended

‎About two senior citizens of Ogun State were reportedly slumped yesterday while protesting non-payment of their two months pension arrears and gratitude of five years.

The pensioners who took the battle to the door step of Mr Adewale Osinowo, the Honourable commissioner of finance, Ogun State.

The pensioners who retired from local government across the state, stormed the commissioner’s office at about 12.00pm in hundreds and locked the two ‎iron gates leading to the commissioner’s office, when they suspected that, he wanted to sneaked away.

The picketing of the office located at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta deprived those going inside and coming out to have access of a way out, while official activities had to be suspended for hours.

The aggrieved retirees were seen manning the two gates, which they locked up, insisting that they would not leave until when the Commissioner come out to address them and attend to payment of their outstanding pension.

However, the Commissioner after keeping in door for about 30 minutes, with the hope that the pensioners would be frustrated, had to come out realising that, the pensioners meant action, having locked up all workers, and prevented access in and out of the office.

The Commissioner on coming out descended verbally on journalists on sighting them, with declaration and threat that he would smash all cameras, if any shot was taken, but the pensioners shouted him down over the threat to journalist.

He later begged the pensioners to engage him in a closed door meeting with their executive which lasted for hours. But as the meeting was ongoing two pensioners, Mrs Comfort Dosunmu and Mr Joseph waiting endlessly outside alongside other members fainted and quickly attended to by their colleagues pouring water on them to revive the duo.

The Chairman of the Local Government Pensioners, Sikiru Ayilara said, ‘we are here today on behalf of ourselves and all local government Pensioners and our families to demand for our May and June pensions, which you have refused to remit to our Bureau for payment.’

He pointed out that, in law the administration and payment of pension are not vested to any office or Ministry (Accountant-General or Commissioner), but argued that since the Commissioner was known to be close to the Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, he has allow the governor to hijack the control of the Bureau.

‘We have not enjoyed our life as pensioners in Ogun State. It has been one destructive policy or the other even to withhold our pensions now for two months. Whereas, state government has not been contributing its own statutory contribution to our pension fund’.

Ayilara said following the alleged maltreatment against the association, sixty of the members have lost their lives, because of non-payment of their meagre pension, which he noted would have been used to save them from untimely deaths.

‘You want us to believe that you designed your policies to kill us so as to reduce pension bill. If so, God is there to judge, the blood shedding. Don’t forget that pension is a right and evils that you do will live with them and after them, moreso, evil to the aged’, he stated.

The pensioners’ boss also disclosed that aside from the outstanding two months pension, the state has since 2011 not pay gratuity, stressing further that, the government was also fond of rolling over a month salary advance on pension payment.

‘You know you have not paid any gratuity to us since, and you start to deny us our monthly pensions which had never happened before you become commissioner’, he added.

Speaking to journalists after the closed door meeting with the pensioners’ leadership, the Finance Commissioner said the protest of the pensioners was born out of what he called communication gap between them and government.

He said the money in contention had been paid since Wednesday, but accused banks management, which he failed to disclose as responsible for the delay in posting payment to the accounts of the affected pensioners.

Osinowo said he had pleaded with the pensioners to give him another 24 hours to address the problem, with assurance that, the payment would be effected in various accounts.

The Pensioners’ Chairman, Sikiru Ayilara in his own reaction after the meeting, said the association has resolved to give the commissioner the benefit of doubt, explaining that, if the pledge failed, the body would take another action to fight their course.

Ayilara said, as a result of the commissioner’s pledge, other planned protest to the Alake of Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo has been temporarily suspended