Following 35 years of meritorious service with the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, ailing octogenarian pensioner, Pa George Olayiwola Owolabi cries out over backlog of unpaid monthly stipends. He spoke to Bode Durojaiye in Oyo.
One would think that after years of service to the government, retirees should be entitled to a certain amount of pension to live on for the rest of their lives.
It is probably too much to ask various government agencies to pay retirees a living wage considering the low level of economic activity in Nigeria but some level of pension to retirees should be a right after they’d put in certain number of years of service.
The monthly ritual of having frail individuals who could barely work straight without the aid of a stick, queuing up for several hours or days waiting to collect their cheques is a sickening sight for any sane person.
Some of these pensioners endured abuses and inconducive work environment while in service, so having to go through this monthly ignominy to collect their paltry monthly due, is to say the least, unbecoming.
The worst part is that the pension backlog sometimes runs into months and years without any sense of urgency on the part of government officials who should know better.
To add salt to their injury, the pensioners read in the papers every day how their entitlements are embezzled by government officials who are suppose to manage it.
Unfortunately, many of these senior citizens have had to answer the call of nature while struggling to collect their entitlement over the years.
Pa George Olayiwola Owolabi, a university graduate of Physical and Health Education, is one of the senior citizens who, having diligently served in the public service for thirty-five unblemished years, has been encountering inhuman treatments from his employers since retiring about fifteen years ago.
The combined rigours Pa Owolabi has had to go through, plus the lack and frustration and agony may not be unconnected with his present state of paralysis. Today, Pa Owolabi cuts a pitiable figure and begs for alms from neighbours to sustain himself. Investigation by our correspondent revealed that Pa Owolabi retired as an Assistant Director from national headquarters of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, an arm of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in the year 2000. His monthly pension stipend used to be N49, 072.80k, but the sum has been reduced by a whopping N10,000 since December 31st, 2005, without any cogent reason.
All enquires and complaints about this development to the then Director-General of the centre, Mallam Yussuf Adamu were to no avail.
Pa Owolabi was also denied payment of his repatriation pension benefit which ought to have been paid on his retirement. Frantic effort to find out the reason behind this action has proved abortive.
What is more! Even the paltry remnant, which he usually collects at his Union Bank branch, has not been paid in the last six months.
In an exclusive interview with our correspondent at his Kosobo, Oyo residence, Pa Owolabi who looked haggard and dejected wept uncontrollably, as he narrated the dehumanising and uncaring manners his employers has been treating him.
A look around his tattered sitting room gave a glimpse of how handsome and dynamic a man he was in his hay days. He revealed how after retirement, he was framed with another deceased colleague for the offence they knew nothing about and charged to court in Lagos.
”There was no month since the case started that I would not travel from Oyo to Lagos twice to appear in court. I had motor accident twice and was hospitalised. I sustained serious injuries to the extent that my wife and children thought I had died. But I thank God I’m still alive today [sobs]. While this lasted my employer did not show any sympathy.”
He recalled how as a dedicated and committed officer, he was transferred from Jos to head the training department in Lagos, a position that gave him the privilege of knowing top security brass in the country, notable politicians and executive officers of both public and private establishments.
“I never received a query, let alone found wanting in the discharge of my duty in the 35 years I served the country. Why then am I being persecuted and victimised?” Now weeping profusely, he said “Why am I being unjustly punished? Imagine me begging for alms to survive with my condition. I wasn’t born like this; the partial paralysis was as a result of psychological trauma I’ve been wickedly subjected to by the centre’s management. In addition to begging for alms, my neighbours are also compassionate people who donate foodstuffs occasionally to me. I have children who are well read and working, but there is a limit to what they can do, because they have their own commitments and challenges as well.”
Pa Owolabi, an indigene of Oyo town, who is living with his ailing wife and grand daughter told our correspondent that he could not afford the cost of essential drugs needed both for himself and his spouse due to non-payment of his entitlements by his employers.
Pa Owolabi is therefore sending a Save Our Soul appeal to the minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Solomon Dalung to take special interest in his case and come to his rescue.
