The Plight of Retired LASUED Staff: A Cry for Intervention Amidst Unpaid Pensions and Mounting Hardship
Retired staff members of the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Ijanikin Campus, find themselves in dire straits, grappling with the non-payment of their pension arrears for a staggering 31 months. Their last pension payment, a distant memory from May 2022, has plunged them into a vortex of hardship, marked by deteriorating health, looming evictions, and the agonizing inability to afford essential medication. The LASUED Association of Pensioners, representing these distressed individuals, has issued a heartfelt appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urging his immediate intervention to alleviate their suffering and restore their dignity. Their voices, laden with desperation, paint a grim picture of lives unraveling under the weight of financial insecurity and neglect.
Comrade Henry Ogunsanya, the chairman of the association, articulates the collective anguish of the retirees, describing a scenario where many are "starving, suffering from deteriorating health, and dying because they cannot afford to buy medication." The lack of financial resources has rendered them unable to meet basic needs, pushing them to the brink of homelessness as evictions become imminent. One particularly poignant case highlights the severity of the situation: a female member tragically lost her sight due to her inability to afford the necessary medical treatment. These stories underscore the devastating consequences of the prolonged pension delay, transforming retirement from a period of well-deserved rest into a struggle for survival.
The retirees’ pleas have not gone unheard, but they have, thus far, remained unanswered. They have diligently pursued various avenues for redress, including sending letters and meeting with officials from the Lagos State Pension Commission. The commission, in turn, pledged to engage with LASUED management to resolve the impasse, but these promises have yet to materialize into tangible action. Further appeals to the Ministry of Tertiary Education and directly to Governor Sanwo-Olu have also met with silence, leaving the retirees feeling abandoned and forgotten. The LASUED management attributes the delay to the non-release of funds by the Lagos State Government, placing the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the state administration.
Adding to their woes, the LASUED staff, including these retirees, have also been advocating for a 72-month backlog of hazard and transport allowances, dating back to the period between January 2013 and December 2018. This long-standing issue further exacerbates their financial困境, highlighting a pattern of neglect and delayed payments that has plagued the institution for years. The cumulative effect of these unpaid dues has left the retirees struggling to make ends meet, forcing them to rely on the generosity of others to survive.
Comrade A.O. Adigun, the association’s treasurer, echoes the chairman’s concerns, sharing his personal experience of hardship since his retirement in November 2022. Having received no pension payments since his retirement, he, like many others, is facing severe economic hardship, unable to provide for his family without resorting to begging. His attempts to engage with authorities, including meetings with the permanent secretary and discussions with the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, have yielded little result. The state government’s recent claim of not owing anyone raises suspicions that the governor is either unaware of their plight or that their situation is being deliberately concealed from him. This perceived lack of transparency further fuels the retirees’ frustration and deepens their sense of betrayal.
The LASUED Bursar, Ganiu Ajose, acknowledges the substantial backlog, attributing it to the non-receipt of funds from the Lagos State Government. He assures the pensioners that all outstanding pensions will be paid once the funds are received. However, this assurance provides little solace to the retirees who are grappling with immediate needs and cannot afford to wait indefinitely. The Ministry of Tertiary Education, when contacted for comment, promised a response but has yet to provide one, leaving the retirees in a state of limbo and uncertainty. Their hopes for a swift resolution continue to dwindle as days turn into weeks and months, leaving them with a growing sense of despair.
The retirees’ plight serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of bureaucratic delays and financial mismanagement. Their stories, filled with hardship and desperation, call for immediate action from the Lagos State Government. The non-payment of their pensions represents not just a financial burden, but a profound breach of trust, undermining their faith in the system and leaving them with a deep sense of injustice. Their appeal to Governor Sanwo-Olu is a plea for recognition, for empathy, and for the restoration of their basic right to a dignified retirement. Their voices, though weakened by hardship, deserve to be heard, and their needs, long neglected, demand immediate attention.
