The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has censured the Lagos State government over the non-payment of the state pensioners’ gratuity and arrears.This is coming on the heels of the protest by the pensioners. The placard-carrying pensioners stormed the office of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola around 9 am on Monday to protest against their unpaid gratuity and pension arrears and refused to leave despite the Monday rain.
Reacting to the incident on behalf of the Coalition, its Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran accused the Lagos State government apathy to the plights of its pensioners.
He said: “It is very disheartening when people who had worked assiduously in their prime to contribute to the development of their state, now go through rigours to get their monthly stipends. It is so unfortunate that Lagos that prides itself as Centre of Excellence could not cater for its senior citizens who worked to bring it whatever glory it boasts of today.
“This is a government that has deployed every of its effort into implementing anti-poor policies when its pensioners are groaning under the yoke of unpaid pensions. These pensioners use their meagre salaries to sent their wards to school only to graduate into unemployment, and those of their children who opted for motorcycle riding to make ends meet and cater for their neglected parents, are banned from doing so because the state their parents served in their youths has become so ‘mega and sophisticated’ that it wouldn’t accommodate such on its highways.
“It is high time Lagos government listened to the crying of its citizens and do what is right. Enough of putting heavy yokes on people all in the name of making the city mega.”
Meanwhile CACOL has also condemned the reason tendered by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa why many of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) scheme buses are in poor state.
Opeifa had told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Monday that the slow pace of maintenance on the BRT buses was due to the dearth of spare parts.
Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, Debo Adeniran condemned the statement of the commissioner.
“It is very unfortunate that the crop of people at the helm of affairs in Lagos State are incompetent. How can a reasonable and cost-conscious government import buses it knew would be difficult to maintain? Why expend taxpayers’ money into such wasteful venture? Does it mean the government just ordered for the buses on impulse without considering the merits and the demerits? This is a government that should have experts in its employ. Whosoever approved the order for the buses should be investigated and made to face the law,” Adeniran stated.