Osun State pensioners yesterday demand the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage signed into law in 2011 by the state government.

The group under the aegis of the Forum of 2011/2012 Retired Public Servants staged a protest against Governor Ademola Adeleke’s failure to implement the N18,000 minimum wage for retirees.

The placard-carrying protesters assembled on Ogo-Oluwa/Abere Road in Osogbo to press home their demands.

They said though they were barred from staging the protest at the Governor’s Office, they were not deterred by their action.

The leader of the group Yemi Lawal accused the state government of failing to honour the ruling delivered by the Industrial Court on October 5, 2017.

He said: “This is not the first time we are protesting. Since 2014, we have been agitating for our entitlements to conform with the N18,000 minimum wage. Unfortunately, the government has defied this by paying only N9,000.”

He said despite winning their case in court, the government delayed action by filing an appeal in 2021, which was dismissed on February 7, 2024.

Lawal said: “We have made countless efforts to engage the government, written letters, organized press conferences, and contacted top officials, but there has been no response.”

The group warned of possible unrest if the state government continues to disregard the court order. “Governor Adeleke is a product of the judiciary.

Why should he refuse to obey the court’s directive? If this continues, we may be forced to escalate our actions, but we still appeal for the peaceful resolution of this matter,” Lawal said.

The group also criticized the recently announced payment of N25,000 to retirees, calling it insufficient. “How much is N25,000 in today’s economy? It cannot even buy 10 litres of petrol or basic food items,” Lawal said.