Rigorous Screening Worsens Osun Pensioners’ Health, Says Activist

THE Director of Comrade Ola Oni Centre for Social Research in Osun State, Comrade Wale Adebisi, has called for the exception of pensioners from rigorous screening exercise by the state government. 

Adebisi asked the government to stop subjecting pensioners to rigorous screening, saying such worsens their health condition.

He described the exercise as a mere attempt by government for cheap popularity without any tangible achievement.

Particularly, Adebisi lamented the pains the pensioners were subjected to during the just-concluded screening done by the state government which he said was unnecessary.

Adebisi, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER, yesterday in Osogbo, said: “The cumbersome nature of the exercise was unnecessary because the screening operation could have better been handled by the local government authorities where every pensioner comes from, and sent back to the state for collation and confirmation.”

Adebisi suggested that the use of technology should be deployed to validate the statistical information and create a database, instead of relying on manual ways of screening that can be faulted by corruption, alterations and manipulations.

He frowned at the pains pensioners are going through in Nigeria, especially in Osun State, saying that such ought not to be if both previous and present governments are sincere in addressing the plight of the pensioners who have meritoriously served their fatherland.

Dr Ayodeji Ologun, Executive Director, Centre for Responsive Governance in his reaction to the pensioners matter, said: “I think the problems in various degrees confronting the pensioners are needless and avoidable if the system can be fixed.

“It is doable since it is contributory and if the government is sincere. A pensioner should be able to access his or her pension days after retirement but for government that is not only unfaithful to their part of the deal but even steals in the name of borrowing from that of their workers.”

Ologun noted that the cumbersome nature of the audit system is demoralizing, saying: “These are tired men and women already and are being forced to go through rigorous and avoidable process to access what is ordinarily theirs.

“I believe that the government should show commitment by allowing a tidy-up of the process such that everyone within the shortest period of time can access their pensions. 

“Like the previous government, they have not done the needful. Issuance of bond will not solve the need of the pensioners. There has got to be a new and formidable approach.”

He called on the government to be sincere in dealing with pensioners’ issues saying they are senior citizens who have laboured hard and deserve to get their legitimate entitlements.