Retired workers in Osun State on Thursday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, the state capital, over unpaid entitlements and to express opposition to the possible return of former governor Rauf Aregbesola to the state’s political scene.
The protesters, drawn from the 2011/2012 Retired Public Servants Association of Osun State and the Unbonded Contributory Scheme Pensioners, said they have continued to battle unpaid gratuities and pension entitlements more than 13 years after leaving service.
Speaking at a press conference, the chairman of the association, Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi, said the protest was aimed at drawing public attention to what the retirees described as policies and actions of the Aregbesola administration which, according to them, subjected workers and pensioners to severe hardship.
The retirees alleged that contributory pension funds were withdrawn without due process and not properly remitted to Pension Fund Administrators, a situation they claimed left many beneficiaries in financial distress.
According to Ilesanmi, “This is a calling to Osun State people and all Stakeholders to wake up to stop and prevent Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola from coming back to Osun State through his Agents or Privies in the ADC in order to avoid him causing more havoc to the Economy of the State.
“And to spell further doom for Workers and Retirees, and the good people of Osun State (as he did during his regime) who have been enjoying at least a bettel atmosphere and conditions of service in the Civil Service and Osun State at large.”
Explaining the reasons for the protest, the retirees said they were motivated by what they described as negative experiences during the former administration. According to them, “There were lot of mistakes and atrocities committed by the Government under the Aregbesola regime that we do not pray to reoccur as it will spell doom to the Public.
“The following few issues among others shall be discussed as situations that were unbearable to the Public under Aregbesola Regime.
“There were lot of Government policies that were detrimental against the interest of the Masses and the Workers under Him, there was deliberate deductions of salaries and benefits of Workers and Retirees.
“There was misappropriation, diversion and conversion of Osur State commonwealth to enrich himself and his cohorts in Politics as many of them were syphoning State fund especially through the present APC National Secretary at the Oke fin, State Annex, Osogbo.”
The protesters further made allegations concerning the management of federal intervention funds released to the state during the period. They said, “There was also a conversion and diversion of the Bail out Loan of #34,988, Billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria facilitated by Late President Muhammad Buhari.
“The funds were diverted and misappropriated under Aregbesola who still left a huge Debt in the State Treasury. There was also a Budget Support Fund of #14,4Billion and Relief Fund of #13.6Billion that was misappropriated by Aregbesola.
“There was also 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Tranches of Paris Club Loan, over deduction refund of #20.814Billion released to the Government of Aregbesola which was unaccounted for.”
They also criticised education sector reforms introduced under the administration, alleging that “The ‘Opon Imo’ (Tablet of Knowledge) which was introduced in Secondary Schools by Aregbesola was discovered to be a scam when its relevance was considered in our Education Sector and the Public.”
Similarly, they said, “the introduction of universal school uniform in Osun State through Omoluabi Garment Industry headed by Aregbesola’s Wife as sole Supplier of the uniform to schools was discovered to be a malady as it caused confusion and aided hooliganism in schools as many Students turned to be hoodlums and fighting for superiority in schools instead of facing their Education.”
On school restructuring, the retirees stated that “the reclassification of Schools into Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, in Osun State by Aregbesola was a calamity and executive recklessness as it was a parting away from Educational norms of the 6-3-3-4 System which was in practice Nationwide then.”
The protesters also alleged that several infrastructure projects were abandoned despite substantial financial commitments. According to them, “Abandoned Road and Infrastructural Development in the State Under Aregbesola: Reconstruction of Osogbo to Ila Odo, Kwara State Boundary.
“The project was abandoned at the Osogbo Township Stadium despite the full payment of the contract sum of #17.8Billion borrowed for the Bank of Infrastructure, Abuja. The Akoda to Gbongan junction where the total sum of #29Billion was wasted also abandoned without the completion of one tenth of the project.”
They further alleged that “The Workers and Retirees who were paid half salary and pension for 32 months was also one of the wicked and callous ideas introduced by Aregbesola which caused financial embarrassment to the Public till date.”
The retirees also claimed that “Aregbesola illegally withdrew #70Billion contributed by workers the under Administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and this was another financial impropriety that was notable with His regime.”
While opposing what they described as a possible second coming of the former governor, the retirees commended the current administration led by Ademola Adeleke for taking steps to address pension arrears and improve workers’ welfare in the state.
They said, “We want to appreciate Governor Ademola Jackson Adeleke for kick starting the payment of arrears of half pension on quarterly basis. We are appealing to you to review the present quarterly payment schedule so that the arrears of half pension can be paid on monthly basis, if it cannot be paid at once.”
Efforts to reach Aregbesola or his representatives for comments on the allegations were unsuccessful as of press time.
