Lagos Senior Citizens Hold Rally for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu

Rebecca Ejifoma

Senior citizens of Lagos state yesterday held a rally to support the All Progressive Congress (APC) flag bearer, Bola Tinubu, and the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for their antecedents to pensioners. 

This was the highlight of the solidarity walk, which kicked off from the Secretariat of the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Ikeja to the NECA House with placards and inscriptions to further pass their message.

Speaking to newsmen, the Chairman of the NUP Lagos State Council, Mr Alexander Oluremi Johnson, appreciated the state governor for clearing the backlog of pensioners as and when due.

He said: “The Lagos state government has been doing what we wanted, but not all. He is the first governor to pay 33.4 per cent to the pensioners. He has been paying the monthly pension regularly to this course.”

Meanwhile, the chairman appealed to Sanwo-Olu to take more interest in their plight. “We’re expecting him to continue and to do it better. Lagos is the only state without an office. We need an office and a bus.

“We don’t want him to relent on his efforts and pace. And we want our governor to see us as his fathers, very important,” he decried.

On her part,  former  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs Kafayat Ajenifuja, acknowledged the efforts of Sanwo-Olu for the pensioners.

“We appreciate Mr Governor and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.

“To a large extent, pensioners get their payment early enough. There will be lapses, but then we get our payment,” she said.

She, however, implored the state government to speed up the process of payment, “So that pensioners can get their payment, perhaps the latest, six months after their retirement to ease the hardship”.

Ajenifuja further urged active staff of the state to ensure they produce all their service records and every document required for early payment. 

The Commissioner, Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions, Ajibola Ponnle, outlined some of the governor’s track records for retirees.

“The governor always pays pensions. He even employed technology to ease the stress on our pensioners queuing in the sun. He increased the pension by 33 per cent,” she added.

Ponnle expressed gratitude to the senior citizens who filled the NECA hall to its brim and overflowed to the doorways.

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu commended the pensioners who came out en masse for this course.  Saying: “You didn’t have to do it, but you did. Thank you all for your appreciation. I pray for you all for good health and better days.”

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Jaji, the governor reminded the pensioners of the elections. Adding, he urged them to get their PVCs. “We look forward to your support for the presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly.

“I hope we will all do the needful. There is a window of opportunity for us to collect our PVCs if we haven’t done so. That is the only way we can show our support if we want to.”