The Founder of the Oluwafemi Oparinde Foundation, Mr. Oluwafemi Oparinde, has called on wealthy individuals and corporate bodies across Nigeria to support the pensioners and the aged, ensuring they live a dignified life after retirement.
Speaking to journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on the sideline of the empowerment programme for pensioners in the State organised by his Foundation, Oparinde reiterated his commitment to community empowerment and social welfare.
According to Oparinde, his Foundation, at the epoch-making event, provided financial assistance to over 1,000 pensioners, while it also organised a free medical outreach for the senior citizens.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of Sobi FM, Alhaji Lukman Olayiwola Mustapha, commended Oparinde for his kindheartedness and unwavering commitment to giving back to the society.
In the same vein, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Kwara State Chapter, Comrade Saidu Oladimeji, lauded the initiative, describing it as a noble gesture for honouring the contributions of the pensioners who had committed the youthful part of their lives to serving the State diligently.
Delivering the keynote address at the event, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Chief Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, admonished the three tiers of government to prioritise the welfare of pensioners, emphasising that the retirees deserve better treatment and policies that would guarantee their financial security and healthcare.
The APC Chieftain posited that delayed payment of the entitlements of the pensioners, particularly their gratuities, is injurious to the society, adding that regular payment of pensioners’ gratuities and other benefits would lead to establishment of small businesses in the State.
He said: “Government should address the plight of retirees in the State. Construction of roads, bridges and other infrastructural facilities should not be placed over and above payment of retirees’ entitlements. We are not saying provision of infrastructure is not good, but it is only the worker/pensioner that is alive and healthy that can make use of those facilities.
“Retirees should not be left to struggle. They deserve timely payment of their gratuities and proper training to help make them transit smoothly into retirement life.
“During your active years you raised the bar of leadership and governance for the economic prosperity of the State.”