PENSIONERS DRAG AKALA TO COURT OVER UNPAID ARREARS

Oyo State branch of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has dragged the state governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala to court over its members' unpaid 142 per cent pension arrears.

The union is also asking the court to compel Governor Akala to implement the six per cent and 15 per cent circular on pension increases. At the State High Court 7, Ring Road, Ibadan, yesterday when the matter was mentioned for hearing, the state government lawyer, Mrs S. Muraina, pleaded with the court for time to enable her respond to claims by the pensioners, while Mr. Yusuf Anikulapo who represented the counsel to the pensioners,' Alhaji Lasun Sanusi (SAN), pleaded for accelerated hearing of the case.

The reason for accelerated hearing according to him, was because many of the pensioners are dying daily as a result of the suffering they are undergoing due to non-payment of their arrears and non-implementation of pension increases.

Justice Eni Esan, the trial judge adjourned till May 27, 2011 to allow the state government respond to the claims of the pensioners.'

The pensioners', mostly aged, had besieged the court premises in their hundreds as early as 8.00a.m in order to witness the proceeding. It will be recalled that three former Chief Judges of the state, two acting Chief Judges and six other retired judges who served in the state's judiciary before retirement had recently dragged the state government to court over similar issue.

The retired jurists approached the court over the failure of the state government to pay their severance packages after months of retirement.