Elderly pensioners in Ondo State have appealed to Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene in the ongoing statewide verification exercise, citing the severe hardship they face while queuing for hours at designated centres.
Speaking from one of the venues at Mega School, Hospital Road, Akure, Princess Moyinoluwa Adesipe, founder of the NGO Kick Against Molestation Initiative, described the experience as “dehumanising” for senior citizens who should be treated with dignity.
“Our aged pensioners go through a lot during verification. Many are weak, in pain, and are forced to stand for hours without adequate provision of chairs. These are people whose bones are already fragile. There should be a more convenient and humane system for them,” she said in a post on her Facebook page.
Some pensioners suggested that the government explore alternative methods of verification such as:
Mobile verification teams that visit pensioners in their homes or community halls.
Digital or biometric verification through banks and local government offices.
Appointment-based systems to prevent overcrowding at centres.
Also Speaking, Mrs Oluwatosin Olanrewaju stressed that prolonging the current manual process could expose vulnerable pensioners to health risks, noting that “if anyone collapses in the process, it would reflect badly on the government.”
The Ondo State Pension Transitional Department had earlier announced that the exercise, covering retirees from 2016 to 2025, was aimed at cleaning up pension records and eliminating ghost beneficiaries.
In a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Chief Bunmi Alade, the department insisted that all affected pensioners must appear in person with their retirement approval letter, bank verification number (BVN), identity card, and payment voucher. Representatives of deceased pensioners are also required to provide supporting legal documents.
Alade explained that the exercise is scheduled to hold across local government headquarters between September 2 and 16. He assured retirees that the state government remains committed to their welfare and to ensuring seamless pension payments.
However, civil society groups and some pensioners argue that while the verification may be necessary, the government must urgently rethink its approach to avoid exposing senior citizens to unnecessary hardship.
