By Precious Oham
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Ekiti State Council on Thursday held their 2024 Quarterly Prayer Summit to seek God’s intervention and protection for its members, Ekiti State and Nigeria in general.
The Prayer Summit, tagged “Peace And Joy in Old Age”, which held at the NUP State Secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, witnessed praise and worship, special hymn rendition, bible reading and exhortation by both the Christian and Muslim clerics, special prayers for its members, among others.
EKITI PENSIONERS MAKE DEMAND FROM OYEBANJI .
During a press briefing, NUP Chairman in Ekiti State, Comrade Joel Akinola said the prayer summit is geared towards praying for Governor Biodun Oyebanji to succeed in the State.
He described him as a pensioner friendly governor while appealing for urgent payments of unpaid gratuities, outstanding arrears of pensions, withheld deductions and acquisition of new union bus.
“We don’t belong to any political party. With what the governor is doing, even the blind can see. He needs prayers. We are praying for BOA. God will continually to give the power to excel for Ekiti State and pensioners in particular. This is someone who has given us N10,000 palliative every month irrespective of what you are earning N500.
“Many people have died and it is their next of kin that are coming for these monies. We are elderly people, the little that is due for us should be paid.
“The government is doing everything possible to liquidate these debts. It’s about N3.3billion that have been paid by this government. Right from the beginning of his administration, he has been doing something to make us comfortable.
“Truly, we have suffered. He is the one who has brought us out of the valley of the dry bones. If you see an average pensioner, he doesn’t need any introduction because it’s either he is lost in memory and everything but that is not saying that it is over. We still have much. We still want him to do more.”
Governor Oyebanji, who was represented by the Head of Service, Sunday Komolafe, commended the pensioners for deeming it necessary to organise the prayer summit while promising to convey their requests to the governor.
