Pensioners in Kwara state have threatened to boycott the 2019 general elections in the state should the state government fails to settle their over N50 billion unpaid pensions and gratuities.
The pensioners made their position known today, Tuesday (September 18, 2018) during their peaceful protest to ventilate their grievances to the state government.
The aggrieved pensionerds including those from the 16 Local Government councils in the state as they carried placards with various inscriptions to boycott the elections if the state government fails to settle their arrears.
The protesters including old Women and physically challenged people who also displayed their permanent voters carfs during the protest and vowed not to participate if their sufferings persist.
Adressing the pensioners, the Chairman of the Kwara chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Alhaji Saidu Oladimeji said the Pensioners in the state could no more endure the agony being faced by both state and local governments councils in the state.
Oladimeji explained that the state government had stopped payment of gratuities to retired workers since March 2014 which he said had increased poverty and untimely death of several pensioners.
He added that retirees from the Local government councils are yet to take their gratuities for a decade ago, adding that they have been taking amputated and modulated pensions since 2008.
The Chairman accused the state government over non implementation of 20 percent salary increase harmonization to Pensioners that retired ahead of first May 2010 in both the 16 councils and SUBEB Staff.
“We are demanding for the payment of mutilated monthly pensions to retirees from the Local government councils which had entered 10 months now with negative impacts on the lives of retired workers “, he said he.
‘The Pensioners in Kwara embarked on this protest to register our displeasure on our plight ” he added.
The Pensioners Chairman appealed to Senate President. Dr Bukola Saraki and Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed to fulfil their pledge of settlement of unpaid gratuities and pensions before the end of September 2018.
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