Lagos Sports Pensioners Cry To Fashola

Retirees of the Lagos State Sports Council, LSSC, have appealed to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), over unpaid gratuities and pensions totaling N22, 449,437.79 since 2009.

The outstanding payments  include the N5, 851, 500.44 being demanded on behalf of relatives of six deceased retirees including former tennis star, E.O Bamigbade,  Samson Ogundipe, Yekini Balogun, Fatai Adisa and Mrs Theresa Olorunoje.

It was gathered that the Lagos State Pensions Board had last November, referred the case of the retirees to the Office of the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Office of Sports which in turn minuted it to the Lagos State Sport Council for action on behalf of the officers who had served the state and the country as sportmen and women.

These former players include tennis star, Kehinde Ajayi, Volleyballer, Suraju Onatuga and former Director of Sports, H.O.D. Hezekiah Ololade, Handball Coach, Alamu Josiah and Boxing Coach, Babatunde Mohammed, among others.

The LSSC Director of Sport, Adewunmi Ogunsanya, told the retirees that the file from the Sports Ministry could not be traced as at last Thursday when they staged a peaceful protest to demand the payment which had lingered whilst most of them are reportedly in abject poverty.

In a memo to the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget dated 23 March, 2009, former Council Chairman, Barrister Yomi Dada, had pleaded for the retirees to be paid their entitlements which at that period had been outstanding for five years.

Dada had in the memo requested for over N22million to be deducted from the Sports Council’s subvention to offset the outstanding arrears to the retirees and next-of-kin of the deceased.

The retirees are appealing to the state government to ensure that the LSSC effect the payment in line with the welfarist policy of Governor Fashola.