Retirees under the aegis of Progressive Pensioners have said they would resist any attempt by some politicians to turn them to political machineries to fight the fingers that are feeding them , saying they resist any attempt to lure into opposite parties.
The pensioners also warned that they should reject reject underground reach out by agents of the opposition party.
In a statement signed by Adeyemi Olayiwola for and on behalf of Progressive Pensioners commended the governor Ademola Adeleke for prioritizing the welfare of the pensioners and keeping faith with them.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to messages circulating on social media berating the current government for not clearing pension indebtedness once and for all.
“We also note the direct threat issued on Governor Ademola Adeleke, a man who was carrying a burden he did not inflict on us by all accounts.
“As much as we know how hard the economic situation is, we must not become ingrate who are eager to bite the fingers that fed us.
“We must not suddenly become a group of people who forgot yesterday and are now showing bitterness to a man who rescued the pension community from pang of death and pain. We must be careful not to play into the hands of the same people who created life threatening pain for us in the first place.
“For us in the progressive camp, we denounce any attempt to take the pensioners body including the Contributory pensioners Into the APC.
“That was the party that killed and maimed us by withholding our hard earned fund and gratuities. We curse any pensioners or group leaders who are meeting APC secretly to drag us into perdition again.
“What manner of people will be threatening somebody who is helping us with a vow to go back to the group who imposed the problems in the first place ? We found the write up in circulation as the handiwork of agents of APC within the pensioners’ community.
“Let us look at the line of communication in circulation to see what is really wrong. The writers who we think are not really representing the pension community said the current government must settle a bill of almost 75 billion naira before the end of 2024. Is that not a crazy demand to make? Are pensioners the only group in the state? Are there no other groups who need attention? Is the government going to stop attending to demands of the health, youth, education and other sectors?
“Under 18 months, the current government paid almost N13 billion naira on the pension debt. Under 12 years , APC paid N11.7 billion . Yet, the so-called pension leaders are threatening to go back to APC . Where is the logic here?
“As progressive members of the pensioners’ community , we also find it absurd the claim that federal money is flowing in so much so the government should clear all pension debt. How much is flowing in and what is the money meant for?
“Our pension group leaders are repeating APC words and sentences without any proof? If project intervention money enters a state , can you use it for pension payment? If Osun Care money enters the state, it should not be used for roads, health and education projects it was designed for? Is that not criminal diversion?
“Our union leaders are parroting the statements of APC. This is what worries us in the progressive camp. Are some union leaders now agents of the APC? Or why are they threatening the current government over re-election ? Are they saying we pensioners should go back to APC?
“Is it a sensible option to dump a man pulling you out of a deep well for a man who actually threw you into that well? Why are we acting as though APC agents overpaid us?
“We need to be careful. If we have demands to table before the government,we should follow the usual channel that has helped us in the past. We should stop issuing baseless threats.
“On this note, we as progressive union of pensioners affirm as follows :
“That we reject any attempt to lure us into APC ; That we commend Ademola Adeleke for keeping faith with us pensioners; That we condemn adoption of APC propaganda by some pensioners union leaders; That we urge fellow pensioners to reject underground reach out by agents of APC; That we know the state government is going to pay up pension debt.
“That we must not blackmail a kind Governor who is doing his best for the state; That we must accept that the administration has several issues to attend to for which we are just one;
“That we must adopt negotiation , not threat or blackmail to press home our requests; That we must ensure reasonable requests, not APC agenda designed to discredit the state government”, the statement concluded.
