By Odunayo Oluwabukola, Ibadan
Members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) Oyo State Chapter has on Thursday demanded for twenty thousand naira (N20,000) wage
Oyo State pensioners also demanded upward review of their living pension, holistic inclusion of their welfare in the fuel subsidy removal economic relief package from the state government.
While briefing journalists shortly after the Pensioner’s Congress held at Pensioners House, Agbarigo, Jericho, Ibadan, Secretary of the Union, Comrade Olusegun Abatan in his words stressed the need for the state government to look positively into their demands.
Comrade Abatan maintained that the condition of the state pensioners have became exacerbated with the sudden removal of petrol subsidy, stressing that since the unplanned removal of the fuel subsidy life has been nasty and short for pensioners in the state.
Abatan said, “the federal government announced N35,000 for workers and N25,000 for pensioners. The federal government did not discriminate against pensioners, we urged Governor Makinde to equally give N35,000 wage Award to Oyo State workers and N25,000 to Oyo State pensioners.”
“However, if that is not feasible, Oyo State workers should be given N30,000 wage award and pensioners N20,000, we reject N10,000 wage award.”
“It is important to state the role we played in the success of Governor Makinde’s first and second elections. The payback to pensioners role in those elections is now, giving pensioners N20,000 wage award is not too much and attending to our 13 humble demands will make life more meaningful to pensioners, payment of various arrears of pensions should be addressed promptly too.” Abatan said.
In his remarks, Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Oyo State Chapter, Kayode Martins called on the state governor, Seyi Makinde to urgently attend to the yearnings of both the workers and pensioners as a reciprocity of its continued backgrounding in the pangs of the removal of fuel subsidy across the country.
The former Special Assistant on Labour to the then Governor, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, Comrade Ibrahim Bolomope urged Governor Makinde to prioritize the welfare of the state workers and pensioners in the state.