347 NIPOST Retirees Died In 3 Years –Ashade

At least 347 retired workers of the Nigerian Postal Services, NIPOST, have died in the last three years.

This was disclosed when the retirees took to the streets in Abeokuta Thursday and

friday in Sagamu, Ogun state, southwest Nigeria.

Their protest in Sagamu paralysed activities at the post office.

They were protesting the non payment of their 43 months arrears owed them.

The protesting pensioners barricaded all roads that led to the post office along Falawe area, Isale-Oko, Sagamu in Sagamu local government area.

Similar protest was carried out yesterday evening at the capital of Ogun state, Abeokuta, where the protesters stormed the post office like bees chanting different songs.

The State Chairman of the NIPOST Pensioners, Comrade Jonathan Ashade, shed tears Thursday when he disclosed that at least 347 pensioners have died, while several others were hospitalised.

The retired pensioners in a peaceful protest stormed the NIPOST office in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital with placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘Mori Baba, you are silent Boko Haram, hell is your portion’, ‘Nipost, give us our 43 months pension arrears, don’t wait till the rest of us die’, ‘Post Master General vomit the N8 billion given to you for our pension arrears’, among others.

They accused the Post-Master General, Mallam Mori Baba of diverting their paid pension fund by the federal government, calling for immediate intervention by the Presidency and the National Assembly.

Comrade Ashade recalled that in 2010 the Senate committee on pension matters had waded into the issue, noting that only five months arrears were paid out of the 48 months outstanding arrears.

He added that since then,nothing has been done.

“Our members are dying because of lack of money. Some are blind, some are mad now and some are dead already. We don’t want to cause violence, we pray that God will allow them to release the remaining 43 months arrears for to us,” he pleaded.

Corroborating the view of the Chairman, the Secretary of the retired NIPOST Pensioners, Mrs.  Oyebanji Christiana urged the Post- Master General of the Federation to pay the outstanding arrears in order to save the lives of their members.

By Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta