Author: Kess Ewubare
- Pensioners have locked out workers at the
Osun state secretariat in protest to over the
failure of the state government to pay their
pension arrears
- The pensioners maintain that they would
deny workers entry into the building
- One of the leaders of the pensioners, Yemi
Lawal, accuse Governor Rauf Aregbesola of
planning to divert the second tranche of
N12,7 billion Paris Club loan refund
Pensioners have besieged the Osun state
secretariat and locked out workers in
protests over the failure of the state
government to pay their pension arrears
and gratuities
The siege on the secretariat which
occurred on Friday morning, June 30, was
sequel to similar protests a day before,
The Punch reports.
During the Friday protest, the pensioners
prevented workers from gaining
entrance into the facility after they
locked the main gate as well as the
second gate.
The protesters held placard bearing
various inscriptions demanding the
payment of the areas and rained abuses
on the governor.
Security agencies comprising of the
police, operatives of the Department of
State Services and Nigeria Security and
Civil Defeñce Corps were deployed to
ensure that the protest did not turn
violent.
One of the leaders of the pensioners,
Yemi Lawal, maintained that they would
deny workers entry into the building.
He said Governor Rauf Aregbesola was
owing them 12-month pensions and the
gratuities of those who retired between
2008/and 2012 had not been paid.
He accused the governor of planning to
divert the second tranche of N12,7 billion
Paris Club loan refund.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Local
Government Employees (NULGE), has
released a reports showing that at least
23 states of Nigeria currently owe local
government workers their salaries
Ibrahim Khaleel, the national president
of the union, stated this in a statement
issued on Monday, June 26, in Abuja.
Mr Khaleel said that Bayelsa state is
owing local council workers the most
with between 10 and 16 months unpaid.
