Retired public servants in Osun State on Thursday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, opposing the return of former governor Rauf Aregbesola’s political party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to the state’s political scene.
The protesters, drawn from the 2011/2012 Retired Public Servants Association of Osun State and the Unbonded Contributory Scheme Pensioners, expressed frustration over unpaid entitlements they say have lingered for more than 13 years since their retirement.
Speaking to journalists after the protest, the association’s chairman, Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi, blamed policies implemented during Aregbesola’s administration for the hardships faced by workers and retirees.
He alleged that contributory pension funds were withdrawn without due process and were not properly remitted to Pension Fund Administrators, leaving many retirees in financial difficulty.
The group called on residents and stakeholders in the state to resist any political comeback by the ADC, warning that such a development could worsen conditions for workers and retirees.
According to the retirees, they fear a repeat of what they described as “mistakes and atrocities” committed during Aregbesola’s tenure, insisting that a return to power by his political camp would be detrimental to the state’s workforce and the wider public.
