A fresh appeal has gone to the Ondo State Government to pay the arrears of gratuity due to retired staffers of Owena Press Limited, publishers of The Hope newspapers, a newspaper publishing organization wholly owned by the state government.
The appeal was made on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, by the Chairman of Forum of Retired Staff of Owena Press, Mr. Banji Ayoola, who said that the non-payment of the gratuity for more than 12 years has worsened the health challenges of members of the Forum and turned many of them into beggars in their twilight years.
According to Ayoola, who retired as Editor of the newspaper, the forum wrote a passionate letter of appeal to the Governor in 2019 on the matter, but that nothing positive has come out of it despite the Governor’s acknowledgement of the letter.
In his words, “It is sad and saddening that there is nothing merry in the ongoing festive season for our members, many of who are wallowing in penury and battling age-related illnesses. It is sad that many of those who faithfully and meritoriously served the government and people of Ondo State in their productive years are now left to the vagaries of life in the evening of their lives.
“I can tell you that about six of our members have died of sicknesses that are easily treated if money had been available, while some are bed-ridden and unable to help themselves. Many have resorted to selling off landed and other properties in order to keep body and soul together, while others who have little or nothing to fall back on have been reduced to the indignity of begging.”
Ayoola recalled that the forum had in 2019 written to the Governor on the matter. “The Governor did acknowledge the letter and directed that action be taken on it. But till now, we only hear rumours of the letter moving from one office to another and that it had finally been sent to the office of the HoS for onward transmission to Mr. Governor. Our hope was raised when the Governor promised to offset gratuities and pensions from the recent bail out, but it now seem that our hope was misplaced.
“We are, once again, appealing to the government to help us and bail us out of penury and wasting away alive. Our case is especially pathetic as staffers of the organization are not entitled to pensions; all they get is the gratuity which has now gone unpaid for over a decade.”
Banji Ayoola
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