- As 20 Senior Citizens suffer exhaustion in rowdy pension verification
As starving and frustrated Nigerians mull over the brand new 2023 model Toyota Land Cruisers worth over N100 million each that members of both arms of the National Assembly, Senate and House of Representatives, have started receiving, many have expressed anger over the exhaustion and collapse of 20 Senior Citizens who came for their pension verification exercise.
While most of the legislators who were former political office holders are entitled to humongous pensions along with the perks associated with their serving at the National Assembly, the poor senior citizens often referred to as “our heroes past” struggle to receive their paltry pensions and gratuities. Many died in the process.
The Monday debacle at Osun State was said to have been occasioned by inadequate number of personnel and logistics hiccups during the verification exercise.
Along the line, about 20 pensioners suffered exhaustion and had to be quickly attended to by paramedical personnel during the exercise held in Osogbo.
The senior citizens from across the state had converged on the venue very early and waited for the consultant and the officials to begin the exercise.
However, the number of retirees, who turned up for the exercise, overwhelmed the few officials on hand to attend to them.
The slow pace of the exercise, which angered the pensioners led to tension and the situation got worse when some of the retirees who could no longer withstand the rigour, suffered exhaustion and had to be attended to by the paramedics from the Osun Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System.
The exercise was later suspended by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Wale Egbedun, who rushed to the scene.
Some of the retirees, who spoke to our correspondent could not hide their displeasure and demanded the decentralisation of the exercise.
Pa Thomas Olagunju from Ipetu-Ijesa, Mrs Mary Iluyomade from Ikirun and Mr Akin Ajasa from Oyan, who spoke to The PUNCH, said they arrived at the venue before 7:30 am, but were not attended to on time.
Olagunju, who could barely walk, said, “I left Ipetu-Ijesa with about 10 others. We have been here since 7:30 am. Yet, we could not complete the exercise. I submitted all my documents but I could not get verified through the biometric capturing being used. I will have to repeat the journey.
“The consultant must think of decentralisation. The stress is too much. The staff members are not enough for this large number. Many of us felt exhausted and had to be attended to here. People on wheelchairs were made to come here, some could not even see, still, they all came here.”
When contacted, the Head of Operations, Osun Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System, Elizabeth Arowosafe, said 20 pensioners who suffered exhaustion were treated and discharged.
She said, “At least about 20 people were attended to by the O’ Ambulance personnel.
None of them lost consciousness but they were weak and tired because they were elderly people and did not have enough strength.
“The place was overcrowded. The prolonged standing led to tiredness. Those are the cases that we attended to by checking their blood pressure. No incident of collapse.”
Following the development, the state government announced that all bedridden and health-challenged pensioners would henceforth have their audit exercise conducted through telephone.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, in a statement, said added that, “Pensioners outside the state at the moment no longer need to travel down to Osun State as they will also be having their screening through the telephone. Additionally, pensioners in the diaspora will also be screened only through video calls.
“In line with the above, the Pension Board is expected to make available all the particulars, especially pictures of pensioners to the consultant, for ease of identification during the video call screenings.”
Lambasting members of the National Assembly who she described as the biggest threat to Nigeria’s democracy, ex-Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili in a post on X warned that Nigerians will soon chase senators and House of Representatives members away due to their serial bad behaviour.
Ezekwesili said: “So that vexing news turned out to be accurate.
“I read the extremely ludicrous and duplicitous statement released by the Spokesman of the @HouseNGR on their insensitive purchase of 360 Toyota SUVs for themselves.
“You all had the audacity to spend scarce public resources in luxury cars at a time majority of their citizens cannot feed, transport themselves, pay school fees and hospital bills due to cost of living crisis?
“At this stage, it is evident you want to continue with your serial bad behaviour.
“Since not even 1 of you fellows @nassnigeria @HouseNGR @NGRSenate saw the heartlessness of that decision to buy 360 new Toyota SUVs for yourselves at this time of severe economic distress of the citizens and country, please know that you all are the biggest threat to our Democracy.
“Just know that a day cometh and very soon too, when it would be your fed-up Nigerian Citizens and not the Military that will rise up and collectively chase all of you grossly irresponsible and insensitive people out of office. And very soon too.”
