Governor
Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state is in the eye of the storm for owing pensioners
The pensioners vowed to vote against Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) in the September 10, 2016 governorship election in the state.
This is the second time the pensioners would embark on protest to express their
grievances in recent times. Some of them allege that they are being owed up to
42 months arrears.
It was learnt that they marched to the government house in
the GRA area of Benin where they intended to tell Governor Adams Oshiomhole of
their plan to vote against Obaseki, the governor’s major choice in the
election. “We didn’t meet the governor. They said he travelled at the weekend
and is not back. SO we are heading to the Ring Road area of Benin to tell the
whole world of our predicaments as well as the governor’s lies,” one of the
protesters told NAIJ.com in a telephone conversation. Another pensioner, who
does not want his name mentioned since he is not mandated to speak, said the
governor had claimed that he was not owing salaries whereas workers and
pensioners are experiencing gloom. INEC clears 17 for Edo governorship election
“Our governor is a hypocrite, who would say one thing here now and do the
opposite when you are not there. “He once castigated his colleague governors
for driving in long convoys while workers in their states are daily hit by the
realities of life because they peanuts that should come to them for a job well
done are being denied them. “He also went viral claiming that he was not owing
us and others, but we know he was lying. He wants to create the impression
outside that his state is fine while coming to beg hungry people to vote for
his candidate. “Can a hungry man stand in the sun or rain to vote? Does Oshiomhole
not collect his entitlements and security vote as at when due? So why are we
being punished? Comrade Oshiomhole had on Thursday, August 11 stated that his
government offset the eight year gratuity and pension arrears not paid by the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state. He also dismissed
claims that he had not paid pension arrears and that he was creating problems
for the incoming administration in the state.A third pensioner, who simply gave
his name as Mr Idemudia, wondered if Oshiomhole actually hated the aged. “These
are people who spent a major part of their existence in the service of Edo
state and to make the state better. Today, we have a governor who does not care
for these same people. “We cry about increased corruption in the system, but
this is how it grows. “How does the government expect civil servants not to
steal when after retirement, the government you served disowns you and makes
you a beggar? “There are civil servants now watching how their former seniors
are being treated by the government. Many of them would be afraid of the future
and I won’t be surprised if they decide to start dipping their hands in the
till to get what can sustain them and make them avoid suffering like us when
they retire. “The governor recently went to town accusing the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the forthcoming election, Pastor
Osagie Ize-Iyamu, of sponsoring us to protest against the governor in order to
dent his image and that of Obaseki. “But I want to assure you that this protest
is not about their politics. Whoever is chosen gets the day, but this is about
us and out legal entitlements as senior citizens of the country,” he said.
Idemudia also confirmed that they did not meet the governor and were told he
was out of the state. “That is why we are going to Ring Road to tell everybody
that this is not about the APC and the PDP. They should leave us out of politics
even though we already know where the road directs us,” he added. At the time
of this report, the protesters had headed for Ring Road area of the state
capital.
SOURCE:NAIJA.COM
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