The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Oyo State chapter, has called on the state government to emulate the Federal Government by paying the backlogs of arrears.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Federal Government has released N42.68 billion to pay the entitlements of Airways pensioners.
Gbade Akande, the state Chairman of the union made the call on Wednesday while addressing journalists, after a prayer session at the Secretariat of the union in Ibadan.
Akande said: “We pray that the state government quickly pays the pensioners arrears in order to put a stop to untimely deaths of our members dying due to inability to afford simple medications.
“We plead that the Oyo State Government uses the entire Paris club fund to pay the arrears of workers, pensions and gratuities.
“Oyo State Government should emulate the federal government which just released a whopping sum of N42.68 billion to pay the entitlements of Airways pensioners.”
He said the prayer was organised to seek the face of God on the travails of pensioners in the state.
The state chairman the union resorted to prayers over the unpaid 62 months pension arrears of retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners, to ameliorate their suffering.
He said that the union had done what was humanly possible to do and what was left was to seek the face of almighty God.
He said the state government had the ability to pay the 62 months pension arrears totalling N42.3billion, if there was political will.
Akande saluted the loyalty of the members and urged them to remain united.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that one of pensions fainted during the prayer session and was quickly rushed to the hospital.
