NAN-H-93
Camp
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Jan. 10, 2017 (NAN) The setting up of Internally Displaced Pensioners’ Camp by pensioners is a joke taken too far, Osun State Government has said.
Mr Semiu Okanlawon, Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, made this remark in a statement issued in Osogbo on Tuesday.
“The set up of IDP camp by pensioners in the state over unpaid pension is a propaganda against the state government.’’
Okanlawon said if any camp was set up, it could not be for demand for payment of any pensions.
“By our calculations, Osun state pensioners got at least N1.5 billion out of the N14.2 billion paid to active and passive workers in the last two weeks, as arrears of four months salaries and pensions.
“Pensioners on N1,000 – N20,000 collected 100% pensions; those on N20,001 – N80,000 collected N75% pensions and those on N80,001 collected 50% of their pensions.
“To us, setting up of IDP camp by pensioners is a joke taken too far”, he reiterated.
According to Okanlawon, in 2015, the state government committed N5.426 billion to payment of pensions in spite of the financial stress the state found itself.
He said government, in 2016, also committed N3,981billion to payment of pensions, adding that the facts and figures were in public domain.
Okanlawon said Gov. Aregbesola had demonstrated transparency in public administration.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that pensioners on Monday set up Internally Displaced Pensioners’ Camp at Freedom Park in Osogbo, over unpaid pension arrears. (NAN)
VE/TO/IEA
Edited by Tola Okinbaloye/Idahosa Asowata