The state government of Osun has been asked to stop politicizing pension payment and management, which has contributed to the state’s pension crisis.
Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2022 Osun gubernatorial election, issued this warning on Thursday.
Senator Adeleke lamented that it took the PDP’s persistent outcry on behalf of pensioners for the State government to make a political announcement, despite the fact that paying salaries, pensions, and gratuities should be a top priority for any responsible government.
According to Adeleke, the act allegedly resulted in the death of many pensioners due to untold hardship.
He maintained that any government playing politics with the lives of senior citizens, or any citizen for that matter, was unacceptable.
In his words, “Imagine that it took months of advocacy and call out by the opposition leaders before the governor deemed it fit to attend to the pains of pensioners. Even the announcement is clearly a political one designed to save face and lure voters into another trap of four years.
“The State government previously lied on recruitment of teachers, on clearance of salary arrears, on university upgrade for Ijeshaland and now on release of funds for pension arrears.
“A Governor leading a government that thrives on lies and propaganda cannot be trusted by the citizens. As a confirmation, even APC members are now daily cursing the governor and his close aides. We watch as the Governor supervised the worst rape of democracy through an inconclusive, rigged legislative primaries. The governor has lost the trust and confidence of Osun workers, teachers, public servants, students, artisans and womenfolk. Strangely, even APC members are praying for the defeat of Governor Oyetola come July 16th.”
The Osun State Government had earlier on Thursday presented Bond Certificates to retired primary school teachers, local government workers, retired secondary school teachers, civil servants and retirees from the tertiary institutions in the State.
The State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola had also claimed during the presentation of the Bond Certificates that his administration had spent over N43 billion on pensions.