Pensioners in the south-west condemned the suggestion by the senators and subsequent steps being taken by state houses of assembly to follow suit.

The pensioners who have worked over 35 years in the civil service and expect that rest is sweet after labour, by the system as they have to go through the proverbial needle’s eye to get their dues.

Led by the south-west zonal chairman of the union, Ayo Kumapayi, they condemned in strong terms the proposed life pension for legislators while appealing to the federal government to reverse the stoppage of 5% counterpart funding to local government pension.

An executive member of the NUP, Dapo Omotosho explained the rationale behind the proposal of the legislators to collect life pension stating that legislators only collected sitting allowances in the first republic.

Other pensioners who were at the event also frowned at the proposal, insisting that the welfare of retirees in the civil service should be more important than that politicians.

The union, however, used the opportunity to thank the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi for releasing funds for the welfare of pensioners but were quick to berate Ekiti state legislators who were also towing the path of their Bayelsa counterparts by demanding for a life pension.