By ADEDEJI EGBEBI

OTUN EKITI (EKITI)- Pensioners in Otun-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti appealed to Gov. Kayode Fayemi on Wednesday to pay their outstanding entitlements before the end of his tenure on Oct. 16.

Pensioners who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) lamented that some of their colleagues who retired between 2014 and 2019 had died without collecting their entitlements.

One of the pensioners, Mr Taiwo Ajayi, a retired principal, appealed to Fayemi to consider the plight of the ageing retirees who needed to take care of their health and also take care of their children.

Ajayi has five children, all unemployed graduates.

He lamented that he retired in 2016 but the state government had not paid him any entitlement.

Another retired civil servant, Mrs Bukola Owolabi, said it was unfortunate that many of her colleagues who retired in 2015 had died from illnesses.

Owolabi expressed regret that the departed died without enjoying the fruits of their labour because of the unending delay in the payment of the pensioners’ gratuities by the state government.

She appealed to Fayemi to offset the outstanding gratuities and pensions before the end of his tenure.

“It always saddens me whenever I remember that some of my colleagues with whom I retired in the same year have died.

“None of them was able to eat the fruit of their labour after serving the state government for 35 years in office.

“They died untimely deaths with little or no financial assistance from anybody as some of them had stroke, hypertension, diabetes, ulcer, typhoid among ailments before they finally died.

“I appeal to our governor, Dr Fayemi, to have mercy on some of us that are still alive and give us our gratuity,’’ she said.

Mr Olusegun Agunbiade, a retired local government employee, urged the state government to consider the fact that the retirees spent 35 years of their lives contributing to the development of the state and pay all outstanding gratuities.

Agunbiade said that he retired in April 2017 but had friends who retired since 2015, but had died without getting their entitlements.

He also appealed to Fayemi to save the lives of pensioners still alive but needing money for medicals and other upkeep.

“It is no longer news that ageing pensioners are dying without collecting their gratuities.

“I appeal to our governor to pay arrears of gratuities and put smiles on our faces,’’ he said.

Another pensioner, Mrs Felicia Ojo, a retired teacher said she retired in 2016 and she has not been paid her gratuity.

Ojo also appealed to the state government to consider the sufferings of pensioners and pay the backlog of their entitlements. (NAN)