We survive on N8,000 monthly, Ondo poly retirees cry out

The pensioners, who spoke yesterday at a news conference in Owo, described their situation as unbearable amid rising inflation and high cost of living.

They said the stipends fell short of meeting basic needs, including food, health care and housing.

Chairman of the Association of Retired Staff of the Polytechnic, Mr Olufawoye Oluwole, who spoke on behalf of the retirees, said many pensioners had died without accessing their entitlements.

He said efforts to secure payment of pensions and gratuities since 2007 had yielded no results.

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“It is unfair that some retirees are yet to be enrolled on monthly pensions years after retirement. Many of our members survive on less than N8,000, yet they still have dependants,” he said.

Oluwole added that the retirees had explored several channels, including appeals to government officials, traditional rulers and religious leaders, but without success.

“We have resorted to prayers. We could have taken to the streets, but we chose not to embarrass the government or the institution we served,” he said.

Oluwole said workers who served between 30 and 35 years deserved prompt payment of their gratuities, describing the delay as unjust.

He disclosed that outstanding gratuities, initially put at about N500 million, had risen to over N3 billion due to years of accumulation, noting that the state and the institution’s management had failed to address the crisis.

“The government claims it pays subvention meant to cover salaries, pensions and gratuities, but what is released is insufficient even for salaries,” Oluwole said.

The retirees appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene by releasing funds to clear the backlog or approve a structured payment plan.