ANGRY PENSIONERS PROTEST, BLOCK PENSION OFFICE IN LAGOS

Lagos, Nigeria – Angry pensioners today stormed local government pension in Ikeja protesting failure of the Lagos State Government to pay their pension and gratuity.

The Senior citizens who staged the protest in the premises of the Ikeja Magistrate Court, Lagos blocked the entrance of the Local Government Service Commission, preventing workers from entering their offices.

Chanting solidarity songs and singing in unison, the pensioners called on the Director of the Commission, Babatunde Rotinwa to pay them their pension arrears and gratuity which they claimed had been disbursed to the Commission by the Lagos State Government.

One of the pensioners who identified himself as Mr. A. Afolabi claimed that the commission had been delaying their payments, for reasons best known to them.

“We are here today to demand for what rightfully belongs to us. We have done various verification exercises and yet all we hear is one story or the other.

“We are asking the Commission to pay us the 142% balance of 36 months. Mr. Rotinwa specifically told us last week Friday that the Lagos State Government has released the money to the Commission. We will not leave here today until we get an answer. We will even take our protest to the Secretariat in Alausa if our voices are not heard, ” he said

Another pensioner claimed she was protesting despite being sick and on medication.

“These people doing this to us should remember that they would also retire someday and have to beg to be paid their entitlements,” she lamented, adding that some of her colleagues have died while waiting to get their entitlements. Also speaking, 82 year old man, Jacob Adeyemi said the commission was punishing them.

“It is very unfortunate to have this type of people in our midst particularly a deceiver . If you are not dynamic leader then you are not a good leader,” he said”

However, a staff of the Commission who said he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the Commission tried to pacify the pensioners.

“We have heard your complaints and I can assure you that we are doing everything possible to rectify it.Though the money has been approved but you need to realize that the process takes time. It is not about the money being approved by the government, you must realize that there are still many issues that need to be resolved,” he said.