Osun Pensioners Threaten Mass Occupation of Governor’s Office

…over unfulfilled promises by Govt

Aggrieved members of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in Osun State are threatening a mass occupation of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s office over the prolonged delay in the payment of their retirement entitlements.

Tensions have reached a boiling point as pensioners accuse the state government of insensitivity, neglect, and political posturing while scores of retired civil servants reportedly suffer and die in abject poverty.

It would be recalled that in the build up to the 2022 Governorship election, Governor Ademola Adeleke as a candidate of the PDP, had entered into an agreement with the Pensioners to clear all their outstanding arrears within six months of his administration, a deal that earned him the support of the senior citizens and their dependants.

A source within the pensioners’ union who requested anonymity told NaijaneXusnews Correspondent that despite repeated assurances from government officials, only one set of retirees—from the 2016 cadre—has received full bond payments since the current administration took office.

“We have waited for years. Many of our colleagues have died. Some have withdrawn their children from school. And now, the government says it wants to spend N159 billion on road infrastructure. Is that more important than human lives?” the source lamented.

Another retiree shared private conversations with two top state government officials, which revealed both the government’s partial awareness and the alarming power of internal political influences stalling their demands.

“The first official seemed shocked when I explained that only the 2016 set had been paid,” the source recounted. “He sighed and promised to inform the governor. But the second official dismissed us, saying they couldn’t focus on pensioners alone and had to satisfy the wider population.”

This has stirred deep resentment among pensioners who feel abandoned and disrespected.

A growing number within the pensioners’ circle are now calling for an urgent, non-partisan mass protest to draw the government’s attention to their plight.

“The governor may be abroad now, but if we all come out en masse, he will be forced to act—even from America,” said one elderly member.

They also accused unnamed political allies of the governor of sabotaging all efforts to facilitate dialogue between CPS retirees and the governor himself. “Each time we try to reach the governor, they truncate it. They act as if we don’t exist,” said another source.

Adding to the unrest is the perception that funds meant for retirees were diverted for unrelated capital projects. “We were told Osun received N101 billion in special grants last year. What happened to the N50 billion meant for pensioners? Why wasn’t it ringfenced?” a union member queried.

There is also outrage over a recent comment by a local leader who suggested pensioners should be grateful for receiving a single bag of rice per local government as palliative. “That’s poverty propaganda. We are not beggars. We served this state. We earned our dues,” a furious CPS member told NaijaneXusnews Correspondent.

Pensioners across the state are now mobilizing for what may be the biggest protest in the state’s recent history. Their demands are simple: immediate clearance of all outstanding bonds from 2017 to 2024, a transparent payment plan, and direct communication with the governor.

They warn that any further delay may result in uncontrollable action, and they refuse to be “used as a tool for a second-term campaign.”

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Osun State Commissioner for Finance and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor for official comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

“We are not asking for favors. We are asking for what is rightfully ours. Enough is enough,” one retiree concluded.