The chairman of d screening committee lamented with sorrow when he saw the number and state of health of pensioners before him today.
He was moved to curse all looters who brought this untold hardship on pensioners.
A total number of over 3,000 appeared today. I intentionally fail to post pathetic pictures taken. At my age, I can authoritatively tell you that I was among the ten youngest in age. See blind, lame, fragile, frail, deaf, weak, poor, malnurished and penile pensioners. Most, if not all , cannot afford transport money from Egbe, Isanlu to Lokoja.
Many cannot buy groundnut or bread. Many were physically carried by 2 abled and hired persons in order to appear before the committee. Some slumped, some cannot leave or come out of the vehicle that brought them, some were suffering from parkinson disease etc.
The sight is pathetic and serious.
One Baba told me that his consolation is that he is still alive as many has died from lack of medical care and hypertension resulting from the failure to pay his peanuts since February this year.
Many, I learnt, are at home unable to come because of ill health and majorly because their pension has not been harmonised.
Thousands are receiving less than #3000 per month . They have therefore decided to forfeit the pay.
I appeal to those who have blood flowing in their veins, those who want to grow old, those who want to enjoy the fruits of their labor to pay these people their pension latest next week to enable them settle the drivers that have made millions from this inevitable journey. If not, I can assure you that pensioners will be killed by stroke and diseases in Kogi state.
To those using pension money as source of wealth, may the curses in the Holy Book be your portion and those of their generations yet unborn.
The suffering is too much. It is not a crime to serve ones father land.
– Hon Elesho Joseph Abiodun
