Retirees Forum of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (REFOMA- MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State, has threatened to drag Governor Dapo Abiodun to court over differential in arrears of pension being paid its members.
The Forum, under the aegis of REFOMA, has said through their lawyers, O. A. Rahman, Abdullah and Co that their decision to sue Governor Abiodun followed series of failed advocacy which had been undertaken in the past years.
In a petition addressed to the Ogun State governor by their Solicitor, titled: “Re- Inappropriate Calculations of Pensions and Gratuities Paid to Retirees Of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta”, the petitioners averred that “at the time of retiring from the service of Ogun State, after serving the state meritoriously for various terms/period, all the retired officers/staff of MAPOLY mentioned above retired on COMPCASS and CONTEDISS.”
They added that retiring on that last scale of payment “means their pension and gratuities will be paid on their last salaries in accordance with the clear provisions of Section 1 of the Pension Act”.
Their counsel added that it was not only wrong but statutorily inappropriate to calculate and pay his clients’ gratuities and pension using the old salary structure0which was not applicable to them anymore.
Abdullah faulted the reliance of the state government on “a note that relates to the serving officers of MAPOLY to pay the pensioners,” against using their last salary scale as enshrined in the pension act.
According to their solicitor, Chief L. A. Abdullah, his clients have written several letters dated April 28, 2018; November 22, 2020 and June 10, 2021 to the government to correct the anomalies without yield.
Chairman of the Forum, Otunba Taiwo, in one of his letters to the government on behalf of the 46 other members, including a one time Rector, Waheed Kadiri, said most of their members had died due to their inability to access medicare.
Taiwo added that abandoning the national and international laws guiding the payment of pension and gratuity by the government had left most members homeless “because they rely on such monies to complete their abode or begin its construction”
He appealed to the governor to count the pensioners among the class of citizens to feel his mantra at different fora that workers will be properly rewarded during his tenure.
Meanwhile, the solicitors to the mostly septuagenarian retirees have threatened that failure to pay up the differential within 21 days of receiving this letter will be met with litigation.