Concerned Kwara State pensioners, owed N1.6 billion in gratuities dating back to 2008, have appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to ensure their inclusion in the recently released N8.1 billion gratuity fund.
The state government had announced the release of the funds for the settlement of outstanding gratuities and set up a committee to supervise the disbursement.
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But the pensioners fear they may be sidelined in the exercise.
Chairman of the Concerned Pensioners, Phillip Oloruntola, told The Nation that early signs were raising concern.
“We learnt they have started screening pensioners for the payment, but none of our 2008 members has been invited for screening,” he said.
He lamented that they had been experiencing the problem since 2008, ‘’agitating for the payment of our gratuities.’’
“This time, we thank the governor for releasing N8.1 billion for the payment of gratuities. We are hopeful our own N1.6 billion will be factored in.
“We will appreciate the governor to capture our own in the payment. Our people are dying everyday. We are elderly people. Some of us are over 90 years old.
“We are appealing to the government to rescue us from this problem. We have been on this problem since the last 17 years.”
