Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State is facing a backlash from aggrieved pensioners over the non-payment of their arrears.
In May 2019, the State government reported paying N92 billion in accrued pension rights to more than 25,000 retirees under the current administration.
However, retirees staged a peaceful protest on Monday morning along Iyana Ipaja Road to register their displeasure, accusing Governor Sanwo-Olu of financial recklessness.
They warned that if the government fails to meet its obligations soon, they will mobilize to occupy the Lagos State Government House in Alausa, Ikeja.
The protesters questioned why Sanwo-Olu embarked on political campaigns and openly displayed affection for his party’s candidate in the Osun State governorship election at the expense of pensioners’ welfare in Lagos.
The spokesman for the retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme (NUPCPS) Lagos State Council, Michael Omisande, issued an August 31 deadline for the payment of their outstanding pension enhancements and wage awards.
Omisande alleged, “If Sanwo-Olu can travel from Lagos to Osun State with billions of naira to support an election campaign for their candidate, but they do not see it fit to pay us our outstanding arrears as pensioners.
He queried: ”How much are we going to collect? Now, they have spent a lot of money in Osun to support their campaign, jumping on the field.
If (Governor Ademola) Adeleke in Osun did not carry pensioners along, he would have failed in that election. We do not have any weapon, but we have God and our voter cards. Prepare your mats and pillows, in case they fail to listen to our request”, he said.
Reacting to the protest in a statement on Monday, the Director-General of the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Babalola Obilana, described the ongoing disbursements as part of the administration’s sustained effort to settle pension obligations and improve the welfare of retired public servants.
