Osun State retired workers on Thursday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, the state capital, calling on residents and stakeholders in the state to prevent the return of former governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to the state’s political scene.
The protesters, drawn from the 2011/2012 Retired Public Servants Association of Osun State and the Unbonded Contributory Scheme Pensioners, said they have continued to battle unpaid entitlements since leaving service over 13 years ago.
Addressing journalists during a press conference, the Chairman of the association, Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi, accused the Aregbesola administration of policies that subjected workers and retirees to hardship.
The retirees alleged that contributory pension funds were withdrawn without due process and not properly remitted to Pension Fund Administrators, leaving many beneficiaries in financial distress.
According to him, “This is a calling to Osun State people and all stakeholders to wake up to stop and prevent Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola from coming back to Osun State through his agents or privies in the ADC in order to avoid him causing more havoc to the economy of the state.
“And to spell further doom for workers and retirees, and the good people of Osun State (as he did during his regime), who have been enjoying at least a better atmosphere and conditions of service in the Civil Service and Osun State at large.”
Stating their reasons for the protest, the retirees said, “There were a lot of mistakes and atrocities committed by the government under the Aregbesola regime that we do not pray to reoccur as it will spell doom to the public.
“The following few issues, among others, shall be discussed as situations that were unbearable to the public under the Aregbesola regime.
“There were a lot of government policies that were detrimental to the interest of the masses and the workers under him. There were deliberate deductions of salaries and benefits of workers and retirees.
“There was misappropriation, diversion, and conversion of Osun State commonwealth to enrich himself and his cohorts in politics, as many of them were siphoning state funds, especially through the present APC National Secretary at the Oke-Fin, State Annex, Osogbo.
“There was also a conversion and diversion of the Bailout Loan of #34.988 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria, facilitated by Late President Muhammad Buhari.
“The funds were diverted and misappropriated under Aregbesola, who still left a huge debt in the State Treasury. There was also a Budget Support Fund of #14.4 billion and Relief Fund of #13.6 billion that was misappropriated by Aregbesola.
“There was also 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tranches of the Paris Club Loan, and over-deduction refund of #20.814 billion released to the government of Aregbesola, which was unaccounted for.”
They criticised reforms introduced in the education sector under Aregbesola, including: “The ‘Opon Imo’ (Tablet of Knowledge), which was introduced in secondary schools by Aregbesola, was discovered to be a scam when its relevance was considered in our education sector and the public.
“Similarly, the introduction of universal school uniform in Osun State through Omoluabi Garment Industry, headed by Aregbesola’s wife as sole supplier of the uniform to schools, was discovered to be a malady as it caused confusion and aided hooliganism in schools, as many students turned to hoodlums and fought for superiority in schools instead of focusing on their education.
“Also, the reclassification of schools into Elementary, Middle, and High Schools in Osun State by Aregbesola was a calamity and executive recklessness, as it was a departure from the educational norms of the 6-3-3-4 system, which was in practice nationwide then.”
They further alleged that major infrastructural projects, including the Osogbo-Ila Odo-Kwara boundary road and the Akoda-Gbongan junction road, were abandoned despite huge financial commitments.
“Abandoned Road and Infrastructural Development in the State Under Aregbesola: Reconstruction of Osogbo to Ila Odo, Kwara State Boundary.
“The project was abandoned at the Osogbo Township Stadium despite the full payment of the contract sum of #17.8 billion borrowed from the Bank of Infrastructure, Abuja. The Akoda to Gbongan junction, where the total sum of #29 billion was wasted, was also abandoned without the completion of one-tenth of the project.
“The workers and retirees who were paid half salary and pension for 32 months was also one of the wicked and callous ideas introduced by Aregbesola, which caused financial embarrassment to the public till date.
“Aregbesola illegally withdrew #70 billion contributed by workers under the administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and this was another financial impropriety that was notable with his regime.”
While opposing what they described as Aregbesola’s second coming, the retirees commended Governor Ademola Adeleke for the quarterly payment of half-pension arrears and improving welfare conditions in the state.
They, however, appealed to the governor to review the current payment structure to allow for monthly disbursement.
“We want to appreciate Governor Ademola Jackson Adeleke for kick-starting the payment of arrears of half pension on a quarterly basis. We are appealing to you to review the present quarterly payment schedule so that the arrears of half pension can be paid on a monthly basis, if it cannot be paid at once.”
