Oyetola Deserves No Second Term, Says Accord Party

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Accord Party (AP) in Osun State has declared that the state Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, and his party, All Progressive Congress (APC), don’t deserve second term in office.

 The party stated that the cries of the state retirees over nonpayment of their entitlements are worrisome.

The party expressed displeasure over the governor’s alleged disdain for contributory pension scheme law.

This was contained in a statement issued in support of the protesting pensioners, and signed by the party’s state Chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, yesterday.

According to the statement which was made available to THISDAY in Osogbo, the state capital, the Accord Party identified with the pensioners, noting that Sections 5(b) and 7, pages 18 and 19 of the current Osun State Contributory Pension Law of 2008 stipulate that the state government shall ensure that persons leaving or retiring from the state public service receive their terminal benefits when due.

The party decried insufficient and infrequent remittances of pensions and gratuities in the state, noting that the APC disdain for contributory pension scheme law and failure of the governor to live up to the biddings of his exalted office have denied the contributing pensioners of the benefits and anticipated recompensed.

APC said it was deeply touched and concerned about the plights of the masses and reminded the governor and the APC that the goal of saving for retirement was to prevent stress, misery, disappointments, and premature death after retirement.

The statement read in part: “The agitations for well-deserved retirement benefits by contributory pensioners in Osun State, comprising primary schools, secondary schools, tertiary institutions, and civil and local government in the state, who are yet to be paid their entitlements by the government are in order and cannot continue to be handled with levity at this critical moment of economic letdown.

“It is heartbreaking to know that for more than six years, majority of the state retirees have not received a dime. This ungodly treatment of the people who had served the state and their fatherland diligently for 35 years or 60/65 years is unfair, inhumane and disappointing.

“Specifically, up till this moment, tertiary institutions contributory pension retirees from Osun State University LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osun State College of Education in Ilesa, and Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, have not benefited or received any bond from the state government.

“Whereas the estimated total amount of the half salary arrears owed by the state government to the contributory pensioners

is in excess of seven billion naira, we also have it on good record that just two months have been paid to insignificant percentage of the affected retirees.

“This is from a party that rose to power on mantra of change, and promised to improve the standard of living of the people, and the party is at variance with the tenets of purposeful leadership. Therefore, we join other lovers of good governance and discerning minds in the state to condemn this in strongest terms and identify with the senior citizens.”

Thereafter, the Accord Party gave the assurance that its gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming election, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, will by the grace of God and with the support of every stakeholder, “who are tired of the misrule of the APC and the incompetence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) right the wrong and find a lasting solution to the problems created by the ruling party and its anti-people policies if elected in July 2022.”