Ekiti has not paid pensioners’ gratuity since last year, Adeyeye insists

A Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Ekiti State and Afenifere chieftain, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has described the Ekiti State Government’s reaction to the allegation of non-payment of pensioners gratuity since last year as “a say nothing response.”
This followed the denial of the accusation by the state government on Wednesday.
Adeyeye said: “Ekiti people simply want to know when last was pensioners’ gratuity paid, not how much has been expended on pension and gratuity since the Kayode Fayemi-led All Progressives Congress government took over power.”
Adeyeye, who challenged the state government to tell Nigerians why pensioners in Ekiti State shunned the December 11, 2013 Pensioners Day, insisted: “Public servants who retired in the state since last year have not received their gratuity as against what was obtainable during the immediate past PDP government when gratuity was paid within 60 days after retirement.”
The state government had reacted through the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Tayo Ekundayo, that Adeyeye’s claim that pensioners were not being paid their gratuity was an “outburst of uninformed and desperate politicians, who are out to make cheap political gains.”
In a statement by the Director General, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, the PDP governorship hopeful said it was criminal for anyone to be playing politics with the welfare of those who served the state meritoriously.
He said: “Instead of running around, trying to subvert the truth as was done by the state government in its reaction, the government should rather set machinery in motion to pay the retirees their gratuity so that they too can begin to enjoy their retirement as was the case of those who retired during the Segun Oni-led PDP government and were paid their gratuity within 60 days after retirement.
“If they are saying that retirees are not being owed their gratuity, why didn’t pensioners in the state celebrate this year’s Pensioners Day on December 11?
“Why did the Ekiti State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners accuse the state government of non-implementation of the six per cent and 15 per cent pension increase, which had been approved by the Salaries, Income and Wages Commission since June 2010 and which all states in the South West have implemented except Lagos and Ekiti States?
“During the governor’s radio programme two weeks ago, a caller asked why pensioners had not received their gratuity since last year and the governor’s response was that fraud was recently discovered at the State Pension Commission and that the fraud was the reason for non-payment of pensioners gratuity.
“One may then ask whether it was the fraud that was allegedly discovered two months ago that made it impossible for retirees who retired since last year to be paid their gratuity?
“Like we said before, non-payment of retirees entitlements on time is sinful and a direct invitation to fraud; because those still in service would have no option than to steal government fund in other to secure their old age.
“We are therefore appealing to Fayemi to stop treating our elders, who had served the state even when he (Fayemi) was still a toddler, like beggars because he too will grow old one day.”