Members of the Association of New Ogun State Civil and Public Service Retirees (ANOCPSR) have appealed to Gov. Dapo Abiodun to defer the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in the state.
Mr Omopariola Oluwole, leader of the association, made the appeal on Thursday during a protest held at the Assembly Complex in Abeokuta.
While addressing the Speaker, Mr Oludaisi Elemide, she said the transition from the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme to the CPS had negatively affected many of the retirees.
“We were employed into the Ogun state Civil and Public Service under the clear understanding and assurance of a defined benefit pension scheme, which guaranteed monthly pension and gratuity upon retirement.
“The sudden transition to the CPS has exposed many of us to hardship; the benefits being received under the scheme were grossly inadequate to meet basic needs.
“Imagine someone who earned above N450,000 while in service now receiving about N60,000 monthly. the situation has become distressing and life-threatening.
“Many of us can no longer afford daily meals, medical care or prescribed drugs, while some cannot pay school fees for their children.
“These painful realities have led to the untimely deaths of some of our colleagues, while many of us now live in penury and abject poverty,” he said.
He appealed to the governor, through the House of Assembly, to defer the scheme’s implementation and restore affected retirees to the previous pension arrangement.
In his response, Elemide assured the association of the legislature’s intervention over issues arising from the implementation of the contributory pension scheme.
He described the concerns raised by the retirees as genuine, assuring them that the assembly would engage the executive arm to find a lasting solution.
The speaker said he would personally interface with the governor on the matter while exploring legislative and administrative options to address the retirees’ demands.
