After 30 years in service, physically challenged retired Lagos LG chief cries over unpaid benefits

By Damilola Ogunsakin

A physically challenged retired Head of Administration and Human Resources at Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Michael Olawale Odesanya, has cried out over the delay in payment of his retirement benefits after 30 years in service, saying the situation has made it difficult for him to afford essential medicines and supplements.

Odesanya, who retired in 2026 after joining the Local Government Service Commission on July 4, 1996, said the experience had exposed him to the hardship faced by many retirees who leave service without receiving their entitlements.

He said, “I got employed into the service, Local Government Service Commission, 1996 July 4. So when you add up from 1996 to 2026, that gives you 30 years. So I was in the service 30 years.

“Started as an Admin Officer, ended as a Chief Admin Officer with various duty posts that I’ve administered. The last one being the Admin and HR.”

Speaking on his experience after retirement, Odesanya said he now understood the plight of retirees whose benefits were delayed.

“You know, it’s one thing to observe other retirees when you are in office, and that time you take it for granted. But now, I’m experiencing it,” he said.

“And I will tell you, retirement is like a terminal disease in this state. Because having been retired, it’s now open to me the number of other people who have retired who have not collected their benefits.”

Odesanya questioned why retirees should wait for their benefits when their pension contributions were deducted regularly throughout their years of service.

“And do you know the sadistic, ironic part of it is that we run a PenCom system, that’s PFA, pension funds, whatever whatever. Each month, this outfit does not fail to deduct your contributions each month,” he said.

According to him, government is aware of the retirement dates of its workers and should therefore make adequate preparations before they leave service.

“You know, the civil service is one service where you know… you don’t know the day you will enter, but the day you’ve entered, you know the day you are exiting, all things being equal, if you don’t die,” he said.

“So every other person, your employers know the day you are going. One will expect that automatically you deduct the contributions. If we are humane enough, then we should prepare these things if you can’t even meet the day of exit from the service.”

He also compared the situation with the private sector, where he said retirees often receive their benefits within a few months of leaving employment.

“Private companies, you see the way they do their own. Once you’ve retired, max four months, you are called to get your benefits,” he said.

“I know NBL then, I know Spintex then, when they were at their peak. We had friends who were just factory workers, we had parents of friends who were just factory workers… Before three months, four months, that fellow got gratuity and things like that.”

He questioned why government retirees should be subjected to prolonged delays.

“So why should it not now be government, the Alpha and Omega, treating retirees the way they are treating me?” he asked.

“There are no exceptions, I’m just opportune I have people like voice for the voiceless.”

Odesanya said the delay was particularly difficult because retirees who depended on their salaries could no longer earn their former monthly income after leaving service.

“If you wish to go by the way of pensioners, retirees who are dying, maybe two years, one year, six months after retirement, you’d be alarmed,” he said.

“Their last salary paid was in February. And of course, as a civil servant, you are not allowed to have any other thing doing strictly your job.”

He added, “Your pension, your PFA deduction goes every month. Your government gratuity is deducted and saved for you every month. So why is it now taking time to bring it out for you, the owner?”

According to him, retirement benefits become a major source of livelihood after leaving government service.

“Knowing that it remains your sole source of livelihood after general work except maybe you are lucky, somebody drops your name, you are appointed, or you are enlisted as a political officer,” he said.

“Aside that, how do we exist? How do we live? So it’s not been easy for me.”

Odesanya also accused the authorities of bureaucratic delays after he was reportedly informed that some documents were missing from his retirement records.

“They contacted me officially, saying I didn’t submit some documents, which is a lie. I’ll tell you that, because I was HR. I ensured my documents were intact, and taken to the commission,” he said.

“But then, that’s government. Everybody passes the buck, bureaucratic bottlenecks. This is our major problem.”

He said he had since submitted the documents requested from him and had evidence that they were received.

“As we speak now, I’ve submitted the three documents, and I have copies that were signed, attested to, acknowledged. So right now, I am waiting,” he said.

“Waiting is part of their cumbersome strategy. You could wait until Jesus never comes. Because most of them don’t feel like somebody is out there suffering, cannot eat, cannot survive without these things.”

He said officials had continued to cite approvals as the reason for the delay.

“They will tell you, ‘Eh, they are waiting for so-and-so approval.’ Approval wo le n duro de? What approval are you waiting for?” he asked.

“At the end of the day, let them just collect their entitlement, no matter how big, no matter how small, just let them go. You have done yours. But no, I’m still waiting. I’ve submitted the requested documents, I’m waiting.”

Odesanya said the financial pressure was more severe for retirees who required regular medication and supplements.

“When you are with a disability, there are supplements you have to take—supplements, medicines,” he said.

“Most of these you don’t get in the general hospital. Most of the supplements I’m talking about, you don’t get them in the general hospital owned by the government.”

He added that some of the products had to be imported and ordered, further increasing the financial burden on retirees awaiting their entitlements.

“Where do you have the money for such supplements now?” he asked.

Odesanya also referred to planned protests by pensioners at Alausa, saying retirees were still struggling despite reported interventions on outstanding arrears.

“If you’ve been following the trend, you will see that this coming… maybe today, tomorrow, this week… some pensioners are planning to storm Alausa,” he said.

“What is their grievance? They said our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has paid a backlog arrears… The President has released such monies, and somebody somewhere here is not thinking that people should get those arrears and get some soothing for the pains.”

“Nobody just cares,” he added.

Odesanya appealed to the authorities to treat the plight of retirees as an urgent matter and release benefits owed to them.

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