Again, aggrieved pensioners call on Obaseki to settle pension entitlements with bailout funds

Aggrieved pensioners from the service of the Edo State and local government councils on Wednesday, again embarked on a peaceful protest over the non-payment of their pension, arrears and gratuities since 2008.
The pensioners also decried the non-payment of three months salaries in lieu of retirement, between 1996 and 2000 by the state government.
The coordinator of the pensioners, Osewmenkha Gabriel, urged the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, to judiciously utilise the N23.56 billion bailout funds allegedly received from the Federal Government between 2016 and early this year.
Gabriel said the judicious utilisation of the funds as directed by the Federal Government would no doubt settle all the outstanding pension arrears and gratuities of state and local governments’ pensioners.
The protesting pensioners with placards of various inscriptions noted that the state governor had reneged on his last May Day workers celebration promises to settle their pension’s entitlements by last month.
He however called on the state government to put the necessary machineries in place to commence the payment of pensions entitlements to all state and local government pensioners.
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, BENIN