Sarafadeen Ali, the governorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party in Oyo State, has promised to improve the living condition of pensioners in the state through reforms and prompt payment of pension and gratuities.
Ali gave the assurance on Wednesday in Ibadan at an interactive session organised by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Oyo State for governorship candidates of five political parties.
The ZLP governorship candidate also promised to pay pensioners adequate sum as pension and clear all outstanding arrears.
He said: “I have a lot of plans for workers and pensioners and I assure you that pensioners will be paid simultaneously alongside with serving public servants in the state.
“We are going to ensure that we start paying pension and gratuities regularly and ensure no accumulation of such.
“When I was the Secretary to the State Government in the state in 2003 under Governor Rashid Ladoja, I was entertaining discussion from pensioners and we were able to clear a lot of inherited arrears of pension.’’
Ali said his experience in government would enable him to address the demands of workers, pensioners and other residents of the state.
The governorship candidate also said he would establish cottage industries in each of the 33 local governments in the state to generate revenue and reduce unemployment.
He further promised to bring professionalism to bear during recruitment into the public service and also reinstate those unjustly sacked.
Earlier in his remarks, the NUP Secretary in the state, Olusegun Abatan, said the purpose of the interactive session with the governorship candidates was to ascertain their commitment to the welfare of pensioners, particularly on payment of pension and gratuities.
Abatan said that the interactive session was not to curry favour for any of the candidates but to safeguard the interest of pensioners.
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