Over 150 pensioners died in Ekiti over unpaid entitlements
Dec 26, 2020
Pensioners who were in the service of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology formerly known as College Of Education, Ikere Ekiti for the past 27 years have cried out over unpaid entitlements, saying many of their members; about 150 have already died over the matter as they were unable to take care of themselves health wise.
In a statement made public by Mr. F O Ogunbayo on behalf of the retirees with the attached judgment delivered by Hon. Justice K.D. Damulak, he noted that majority of the retirees still living are of advanced age between 75 & 85 and that successive government since 1994 have had no concrete plans to pay the pensioners’ entitlements.
“Government to government since 1993, there were no concrete plans to pay pensioners entitlements except the attempts made by Governor Fayemi during his first term in office which could not be fulfilled because he lost the governorship elections to Fayose.
“This is the time for Governor Fayemi to concretize his plans of 2013”, he added saying the agitation for the payment had in 2016 led to the registration of an Association to help fight the cause of the retirees.
Mr. Ogunbayo who also observed that a case was filed at the National Industrial Court, Akure on June 13th, 2018 for the payment of pensions and salaries arrears from 1993 to 2015 to the tune of One Billion, Thirty Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fourteen Naira, Twenty Five kobo only and that the court judgment titled “Consent Judgment” dated 11th November , 2020, and delivered by Hon. Justice K.D. Damulak, mandated the Ekiti State Government to pay up the total sum.
While noting the implication of the judgment in the face of the recent upgrade of the college to a University to indirectly mean the non existence of the college, Mr. F. O Ogunbayo urged the state government to take it up as its responsibility to pay the total sum notwithstanding the court judgment stressing that every retirees from 1993- Oct 2020 should be paid their entitlement in order to avoid more deaths.
