PENSIONERS of Lagos State, under the aegis of Association of Retirees and PFA (Pension Fund Administrators) Pensioners, have maintained that the Lagos State Government owes them not less than N30 billion of unpaid benefits, alleging that the government has abandoned them since 2018.
Chairman of Association of Retirees and PFA Pensioners, Lagos State Chapter, Michael Omisande in a statement reacting to the claim by the Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pension, that the government had cleared the debt, insisted that the government was economical with the truth.
He said among others: “We have said earlier that Lagos State Government will fail in a bid to continue to lie. They claim to inherit debt from the previous administrations. Have they not inherited assets from the previous governments? Lagos State Government has failed to care for the state’s retired workers from 2018 to date. Lagos State is the richest state in the federation and yet cannot pay her Contributory Pensioners their entitlement until three to four years after retirement. How will the pensioners survive if not by God’s mercy? If the truth must be told, the state retirees are languishing in hunger, sickness and abject poverty.
“Will it not be better to declare a state of emergency on Pension matters in Lagos State? We advise the state government to demand for a bailout from the Federal Government to enable the state pay the outstanding of just N30 billion debt to the elderly who have laboured to build the state of excellence.
“Prosterity will never forgive all the sycophants blocking the retirees and pensioners in Lagos State from meeting with the governor. We know the governor to be passionate and worker-friendly but has poor advisers who are misleading him. They are caring for those on Defined Benefits Scheme, DBS and abandoning those on Contributory Pension. However, we want to assure the pensioners that they will all live a better life soon, by God’s grace.
“I have told the commissioner that some retirees who retired as far back as 2018 have not been settled. She admitted and explained that they fall under the 15 per cent arrears still pending to be cleared and that the government inherited N50 bilion debt. Until the remaining arrears are cleared, she explained that there will still be delay in payment. According to her, Lagos budgets N1billion every month to clear the backlog.”
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