By Daud Olatunji

ABEOKUTA—THERE was pandemonium at the Ogun State governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, when some aggrieved pensioners locked in Ogun State Commissioner for Finance, Adewale Osinowo alongside his workers over two months unpaid pensions of local government retirees.

Vanguard gathered that the pensioners who are members of the Association of Local Government Pensioners in the state stormed the office complex and immediately locked the two entrances leading to the office demanding for their May and June, 2016 pensions.

The pensioners claimed that no fewer than 60 members of the association had died in the last two months.

The angry pensioners besieged the office and demanded to see the Commissioner who,they accused was attempting to sneak out when he sighted them.

Activities at the ministry were  paralysed as workers were prevented from moving from one office to the others while the pensioners mounted guard at the entrances.

The Chairman of the association, Sikiru Ayilara, said the Commissioner had earlier sneaked out of the office of the state Accountant-General in an attempt to avoid the protesters.

Osinowo who later appeared to the pensioners after about 30 minutes of laying siege in his office immediately went into a close door meeting with the leadership of the union which lasted for about an hour.

Newsmen and other members of the union were however barred from the meeting held at the Ministry’s conference room.

During the meeting, two of the protesting pensioners slumped but, were later revived by their colleagues some of whom rushed out of the meeting.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Osinowo attributed the delay in payment of May, 2016 pensions to communication gap between the ministry and the pensioners.

He explained that the money had been paid by the government to the bank handling the account but that the bank has failed to credit the bureau of local government.

Osinowo however promised not to leave his office yesterday until the bank complied with the directive to pay the pensioners within six hours.